Parent Carers Project Worker – Sandwell Carers

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Permanent

RESPONSIBLE TO: Service Coordinator

SALARY: £12.60 p/hour

HOURS: 18 hours per week (flexible via a rota to meet service outcomes)

WHERE: Outreach across Sandwell (Office B32 3BZ)

Who We Look for?

Are you passionate about working alongside individuals, families, and communities to make a meaningful difference? Do you thrive in a role that balances independent responsibility with strong team collaboration? If so, we’d love to work with you. Midland Mencap is looking for a committed and enthusiastic ‘Parent-Carers Project Worker’ to help bring the vision of the Sandwell Carers to life.

This is a dynamic role where you’ll take ownership of your work while being supported by a close-knit, experienced team, your line manager, and the people we serve.

You will:

• Be motivated by making a difference in people’s lives.
• Bring experience in supporting people in community settings, especially in diverse and underrepresented communities.
• Understand the unique challenges faced by unpaid Parent-Carers and be ready to listen and act as needed and appropriate.
• Communicate confidently with Parent-Carers, colleagues, professionals (such as social workers or teachers), and community organisations.
• Be organised, adaptable, and resilient in a role that blends emotional intelligence with practical action.
• Have a proactive approach to safeguarding, confidentiality and compliance.

Most importantly, you’ll share our belief that people with lived experience should shape the services they use, and you’ll be excited to work in a co-produced, strengths-based way.

If you have experience working with unpaid carers and families with children, young people, or adults with illness or disabilities, that’s a bonus. But don’t be put off if not. We value transferable skills from other sectors and provide comprehensive training to all our staff.

What does a ‘Parent-Carers Project Worker’ do?

As a key team member of the Midland Mencap/Sandwell Carers team, you’ll play a central role in identifying and supporting unpaid Parent-Carers—who provide care to their Children with SEND, other disabilities or long-term conditions. You’ll build strong, trusting relationships with individuals, families, volunteers, and partner organisations, working in a way that is co-produced and rooted in mutual respect.

You will help carers identify and build on their many strengths, through the delivery of a range of workshops, support groups and information and advice sessions both in-person in community settings across Sandwell and online. Themes include areas of topic like Understanding Education Health & Care Plan’s, Carers Rights, Sensory Play, Communication and more – don’t be put off if these subjects are new to you – training will be provided.

Your day-to-day duties will include:

• Direct Support: Offering information and advice, through the facilitation and delivery of workshops/support groups and other similar activities and events.
• Collaborative Planning: Working together with colleagues, carers, and volunteers to design and deliver a wide range of meaningful, inclusive activities that reflect the strengths, interests and goals of those we support.
• Asset-Based Approaches: Identifying and celebrating the strengths of individuals and communities, from across Sandwell’s rich cultural diversity.
• Information & Guidance: Providing clear, relevant advice and signposting to help Parent-Carers navigate services, understand their rights, and access support.
• Promotion & Outreach: Helping to raise awareness of Sandwell Carers within local communities and through professional networks, including statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Volunteer Engagement: Supporting and working alongside volunteers to enhance the reach and impact of the service.
• Monitoring & Safeguarding: Ensuring person-centered approaches are at the heart of your work as well as Safeguarding, GDPR, and all other Midland Mencap’s policies.
• Reflective Practice: Taking part in regular team reviews of activities to learn, improve, and evolve our offer.
• Flexible Working: Contributing to a rota system that supports the needs of Parent-Carers, while maintaining a balanced and structured workload. This will include time spent in the office and local communities across Sandwell.

Knowledge/Experience and Skills

Desirable:

• Work/Lived Experience
• Experience working in a social care, health, or education setting.
• Lived experience as a parent-carer of a disabled child, or other type of unpaid carers role.

Essential:

• Administrative Skills: Ability to follow set administrative procedures. Good written and spoken communication skills. Ability to use Microsoft 365 Apps like Outlook, Word, XL, PowerPoint, OneDrive, SharePoint, & Teams Ability to use IT Case Management Systems.
• Working with Diverse Communities: Understanding and awareness of working with people from a range of cultural and community backgrounds.
• Organisational Skills: Ability to plan and prioritise workload effectively. Confidence in attending, contributing to, and facilitating meetings and group discussions.
• Interpersonal Skills: Able to work respectfully with people across local communities and various public services. Maintains discretion, integrity, and confidentiality at all times. Works well both independently and as part of a team.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in dynamic and changing environments.
• Awareness of Disability and Carer Issues: Knowledge and understanding of the challenges faced by disabled people and their family/unpaid carers.
• Safeguarding: Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable individuals.
• Co-production: Understanding of (or a commitment to learn) co-production, person-centred and strength-based approaches.

People & Contacts

Desirable:

• Knowledge of local services, organisations, and networks in Sandwell.
• Fluency in a second spoken language.

Essential:

• Experience in community engagement or outreach.
• Confidence in engaging with people from diverse communities, faiths, and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate diplomatically and sensitively with individuals, families, and professionals from other agencies.
• A reliable and responsible team player, able to work collaboratively with both internal colleagues and external partners to achieve shared outcomes.

Job Impact

Essential:

• A drive to continuously improve performance and service quality.
• The ability to deliver support which meets the needs of individuals from diverse communities.
• Commitment to upholding Midland Mencap’s values, including its Vision, Mission, and Three Core Offers.
• Passionate about equality and inclusion.

Creativity & Innovation

Essential:

• Able to provide accurate and consistent information to support service delivery and management decisions.
• Able to plan, organise, and manage activities using appropriate tools/resources.
• Skilled in facilitating group sessions, workshops, or peer support forums.
• Flexible and responsive to changing needs.

Independence & Judgement

Essential:

• Confident working independently and using initiative.
• Able to recognise personal and professional boundaries.
• Willing to take responsibility for meeting service user needs, demonstrating flexibility, pride in work, and ability to meet deadlines—even under pressure.
• Inclusive and respectful of others’ backgrounds and experiences.

Other Requirements

All staff employed by Midland Mencap are expected to:

• Recognise and uphold their duty of care to all citizens and the wider public.
• Embrace Midland Mencap’s values at all times.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding and belief in the organisation’s mission and values.
• Commit to the principles of safeguarding.
• Hold an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.
• Be available to work occasionally in the evenings and weekends.
• To undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as may be reasonably required which are consistent with the general level of responsibility for this job role.
• Travel across the borough of Sandwell is essential; access to a car and full UK driving licence is essential.

About Midland Mencap & Sandwell Carers

Midland Mencap is a leading West Midlands charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, and other long-term conditions—as well as their families and unpaid carers. We work to empower individuals of all ages and abilities, promote inclusion, and improve quality of life. Sandwell Carers is a partnership led by Forward Carers who have been empowering unpaid Carers to live fulfilling lives since 2014 and delivered locally by local organisations including Midland Mencap. Sandwell Carers is commissioned by Sandwell Council and is part of a wider mission to build Carer Friendly Communities—places where unpaid carers are recognised, supported, and able to thrive in all areas of life.

Full job description and person specification.

When applying for this job role, please complete and attach the following to your application:

• Either the Application Form or your CV
• The Equal Opportunities Form

Closing Date: This is a rolling recruitment process. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place at any time. The post will close once a successful candidate has been appointed, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.