Family Support Worker in Manchester

The Local Governing Board at Mount Carmel is seeking a dedicated, empathetic and proactive Family Support Worker to join our pastoral and safeguarding team. This is a key position with a strong focus on community engagement, early intervention and ensuring every child is supported both academically and emotionally. Mount Carmel serves a diverse and vibrant community. We are committed to working closely with families to remove barriers to learning and to ensure all pupils can thrive. The Family Support Worker will play a central role in strengthening communication between home and school and supporting some of our most vulnerable pupils.

Main Purpose of the Role

To enable all pupils to fully engage in education by providing leadership and support around pupil welfare, safeguarding and attendance. This includes working collaboratively with staff, parents/carers and pupils to address barriers to learning and ensuring effective policies and procedures are in place. The postholder will be a key member of the Safeguarding Team, acting as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL). The role requires sensitivity, discretion, and a strong understanding of safeguarding practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Fulfil the role of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, deputising for the DSL as required.
• Ensure robust safeguarding and child protection systems, policies and procedures are in place, consistently implemented and understood by all staff.
• Manage safeguarding and child protection concerns, maintaining accurate, confidential and up‑to‑date records, ensuring appropriate information sharing and transferring files securely when pupils move schools.
• Organise, attend and lead where appropriate Multi‑Agency meetings, Child Protection Case Conferences and other statutory meetings contributing effectively, representing the school and providing all required reports.
• Receive, coordinate and review referrals for children and families including Early Help and Multi‑Agency referrals, ensuring timely and appropriate action is taken.
• Manage Pastoral Meetings alongside members of the DSL team in school.
• Champion a culture of safeguarding across the school.
• Maintain a working knowledge of local authority safeguarding processes including Early Help assessments and Child Protection procedures.

Working With Pupils

• Identify and implement strategies to help pupils overcome barriers to learning.
• Support the transition of new pupils joining Mount Carmel.
• Support attendance management: monitor daily attendance with the attendance lead, complete home visits and contribute to attendance strategies and initiatives.
• Plan, coordinate and monitor targeted interventions to support pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs ensuring actions from safeguarding and intervention meetings are implemented and reviewed.

Working With Parents/Carers & External Agencies

• Lead Early Help Assessments and referrals.
• Attend Early Help meetings and other safeguarding meetings as required.
• Act as the main point of contact for parents/carers regarding pastoral concerns.
• Lead parent workshops and engagement initiatives.
• Build positive, trusting relationships with families to encourage involvement in their child’s education.
• Communicate clearly with parents/carers about support in place for their child.
• Liaise with external agencies and professionals to ensure pupils’ needs are met.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of external support services available to families.

Administration

• Maintain accurate and confidential records of interventions and meetings.
• Ensure the effective transfer of relevant pupil information within and beyond the school.
• Complete required documentation for external agencies.
• Record all relevant information promptly and accurately.

General Duties

• Provide lunchtime support as part of the wider pastoral team.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Mount Carmel RC Primary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Appointment is subject to a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. We strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.