Family Support Worker in Plymouth

Nurtura is a social work-led organisation with experience across statutory children’s services, family support, safeguarding, assessment, supervision and community-based intervention.

Our work is trauma-informed and grounded in respect, dignity, professional curiosity, and safe outcomes for children.

We are building a trusted bank of practitioners who can offer responsive and flexible support to children and families at times of pressure, vulnerability, crisis or change.

Our approach is practical and compassionate, while remaining clear about risk, children’s timescales, and the importance of relationship-based practice.

This position is offered on a zero-hours contract; however, we are particularly interested in applicants who are seeking regular, full-time-equivalent hours and who can offer a high level of availability.

We have an ongoing need for workers who are willing to undertake a varied rota, which may include weekdays, evenings, weekends, waking nights and bank holidays.

Although hours cannot be guaranteed, we anticipate being able to offer regular work to individuals whose availability matches the needs of our assignments.

Applicants should

• Be looking for regular and substantial working hours;
• Have broad availability across the week;
• Be willing to work flexibly across different shift patterns; and
• Be able to respond to available assignments reliably.

This role may be particularly suitable for someone who values the flexibility of a zero-hours contract but would ideally like to work on a regular, near-full-time or full-time-equivalent basis.

Community Family Practitioners provide practical, relational and safeguarding support to children and families who may be experiencing poverty, trauma, domestic abuse, exploitation, poor mental health, neurodiversity, housing instability, isolation or difficulty sustaining safe and stable family life.

You will work directly with parents, carers, children, and wider family networks using a whole-family approach.

The work is focused on helping families understand concerns, build strengths, reduce risks, improve routines, and access the right support at the right time.

Duties

• Provide direct work with children, parents, carers, and wider family networks.
• Support families with routines, boundaries, parenting confidence, home conditions, budgeting, access to services and community inclusion.
• Contribute to assessments of need by observing family strengths, risks, routines, home conditions, support networks and barriers to change.
• Undertake life story work with children who have experienced trauma, instability and uncertainty.
• Caring for children in the community at short notice
• Deliver structured, time-limited support with clear goals, review points and evidence of impact.
• Provide Family Time support, practical supervision, emergency community support, or short-notice family support where appropriate.
• Record visits, direct work, engagement, progress, concerns and next steps clearly and promptly.
• Escalate safeguarding concerns or emerging risk without delay.
• Work safely in the community, following lone working, confidentiality, information sharing, and risk assessment arrangements.

Assignments may be out of hours, out of county and short notice We are looking for practitioners who bring: Level 3 or above qualification in childcare, health and social care, youth work, family support, education, domestic abuse, housing support or related field.

Experience of trauma-informed, restorative, motivational, strengths-based or solution-focused approaches.

Experience of direct work with children, parents, carers, or vulnerable families.

A warm, respectful, and non-judgmental approach.

Good understanding of safeguarding, boundaries, confidentiality, and child-centred practice.

Ability to engage families who may be anxious, distressed, overwhelmed, or reluctant to accept support.

Strong observation, communication, recording, de-escalation, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to travel to family homes and community settings and work flexibly where agreed.

A full UK drivers licence would be desirable What we offer

• Excellent rates of pay from £15 - £23 pounds per hour depending on experience and service request
• Flexible bank and sessional opportunities subject to service needs and suitability.
• Values-led work where children and families are treated with dignity and respect.
• Clear assignment information before work begins, including scope, hours, reporting arrangements, and known risks.
• Social work led management support and reflective oversight.
• Opportunities to contribute to meaningful, time-limited support that helps families stabilise, rebuild, and sustain change.
• Work