Family Support Worker

Our colleagues’ wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at OFG, so we’re always looking for new ways to improve everyone’s work/life balance. We’re taking part in a trial of the 4-Day Working Week, meaning that you could be working one day less a week (or equivalent). If the trial is a success, we’ll be rolling the 4DWW out across the Group – so there’s never been a more exciting time to join #teamOFG!

Location: Oak Tree School, Truro, TR4 9NH

Salary: £29,120 per annum (not pro rata)

Hours: 42.5 hours per week; Monday to Friday, 8am-4:30pm

Contract: Permanent, 52 weeks

UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

As part of our continued growth, we now have a fantastic opportunity for a Family Support Worker with Safeguarding Responsibilities to join our close-knit team at Oak Tree School located in Truro.

About the role:

The Family Support & Liaison Worker with safeguarding responsibilities (inclusive of attendance concerns) will play a vital role in promoting the well-being of students and families within the community. This position combines elements of family support, liaison work, safeguarding, and attendance monitoring to ensure that students receive the necessary support and guidance for their educational and personal development.

Key Responsibilities:

• Family Support: Establish and maintain strong relationships with students and their families to understand their unique needs and challenges. Provide emotional support, counselling, and guidance to families facing various issues, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health concerns, or housing instability. Assist families in accessing community resources and services to address their specific needs. Consider and develop concepts such as training offers that can create lifelong change for the families we support.
• Liaison and Collaboration: Work effectively in collaboration with the whole school team and current family support lead. Act as a bridge between the school, students, families, and external agencies, ensuring effective communication and collaboration. Attend meetings with parents, teachers, counsellors, and other professionals to discuss student progress, challenges, and support plans. Build close links with Adult Education regarding the delivery of family learning sessions and well-being sessions and Read Easy (support for parents who are unable to read).
• Safeguarding: Identify and report cases of child safeguarding concerns, abuse, neglect, or potential harm promptly and in accordance with established protocols. Collaborate with the school's safeguarding team, local authorities, and child protection agencies to ensure appropriate interventions and follow-up actions.

About us:

Oak Tree School in Truro has recently expanded and developed two new buildings and undergone a successful inspection from Ofsted allowing us to offer a wider age range of pupils from 5 – 18 years the opportunity to have the best education possible. Oak Tree School is a specialist SEMH provision positioned near the city of Truro in Cornwall. The school provides full-time specialist co-education for up to 135 pupils and young people aged 5 to 18 who experience social, emotional, mental health, communication difficulties and associated challenging behaviours. These pupils and young people often cannot cope, function or achieve within a mainstream environment. The aim is to provide a structured, nurturing approach, with pupils accessing a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum to meet their significant needs.

This opportunity is in Truro which is within commutable distance of Redruth, St Austell and surrounding areas. We are part of Acorn Education and can promise you plenty of challenges, and a rich variety of opportunities to develop your career. Acorn Education is the UK’s leading independent provider of specialist education for vulnerable pupils and young people. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Why join Acorn Education?

Benefits: Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks
• And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:
• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit.