Family Worker in Bolton

Location: Better Days Bolton, Queen Street, Bolton, BL1 1SX. Base location will be here with required outreach work.

Working hours: 37 hours per week, Monday‑Friday, may include evening shifts.

Contract: Permanent.

Salary range: £25,877.80 – £34,240 per annum (full earning potential; starting salaries depend on experience and progression within the band).

About the Service

Better Days Bolton delivers structured, evidence‑based support for individuals experiencing difficulties related to drug and alcohol use. The service provides confidential assessment, treatment and recovery interventions, delivered in line with national guidance and best practice. Working in partnership with health, social care and community organisations, the service aims to improve health outcomes, reduce harm and support sustained recovery for individuals and families within the Bolton area.

About the Role

• Provide targeted and specialist interventions based on a whole‑family approach to parents, carers and families affected by drug or alcohol use, improving parenting skills and strengthening relationships.
• Deliver direct and indirect services – assessments, group facilitation, recovery planning, case management and one‑to‑one interventions.
• Support family interventions and manage a caseload of families/carers, including devising, implementing and reviewing ongoing support plans and liaising with the service team.
• Build relationships with family members, modelling effective communication and persistent support.
• Work restoratively with families to challenge and support them towards reaching planned goals.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the Bolton system to identify, publicise and engage suitable families, attending team meetings and undertaking joint assessments and support work.
• Partner with external agencies for shared assessments and interventions to promote progression from engagement through structured treatment to self‑sustained recovery.
• Identify and support children, young people and families, liaising with learning mentors, outreach workers, health visitors, social workers and other relevant agencies.
• Plan appropriate exits for families, ensuring ongoing support from relevant services as needed.
• Facilitate access to treatment and community resources to increase recovery and social capital.
• Provide therapeutic interventions, group work, outreach methods, home visits and community‑based support.
• Work closely with the multidisciplinary team and external partners, providing advice, written reports and attending reviews, team meetings, supervision and telephone conversations.
• Improve outcomes for families by reducing the impact of drug and alcohol‑related harm and promoting positive family involvement in recovery.
• Develop and deliver quality programmes and packages of psychosocial interventions for group and one‑to‑one formats.
• Ensure safeguarding of children and adults in line with Bolton Council and Waythrough policies and procedures.
• Identify and prevent potential harm, following local and organisational safeguarding guidelines and coordinating with safeguarding authorities.
• Ensure children, young people and families are fully involved in and consulted about the service’s work and support them to represent their views.

Essential Criteria

• NvQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care (or above, or equivalent) or willingness to work towards this after appointment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programmes.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and use appropriate discretion with sensitive information.
• Strong communication skills – active listening, key message identification, negotiation, problem solving and ability to challenge appropriately.
• Understanding and ability to implement a whole‑family approach, including brief interventions, MI, PSIs, CBT and ITEP.
• Experience working with best‑practice frameworks – NICE, DOH, NTA, NMC, Care Quality Commission, Caldicott Standards.
• Experience with complex and challenging families in intensive family support, targeted youth work, substance misuse, criminal justice, housing, employment, mental health etc.
• Knowledge of parenting pressures and appropriate interventions.
• Ability to identify and respond to risk of harm to children or vulnerable adults and knowledge of child protection and adult safeguarding policies.

Desirable Criteria

• Relevant professional qualification – e.g. Children & Young People’s Workforce Diploma Level3, NVQ3/4, BA in Health & Social Care (Children’s Pathway), NVQ3/4 Working with Parents, BA Youth & Community Services, BA Social Work or equivalent.
• Experience using Management Information Systems and social media networks.
• Driver’s licence and access to a vehicle.

What We Offer

• 27 days’ annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays).
• Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%.
• Life assurance (3× annual salary).
• Enhanced sick pay and family‑friendly pay.
• Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave.
• Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications.
• 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Recognition and long‑service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals.
• £500 Recommend a Friend bonus.
• Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership.
• Discounts via Blue Light Card, charity discounts, extras and tickets for Good.
• Free will‑writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year.

Inclusion and accessibility – an equal‑opportunity employer; we welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support.

Disability Confident Scheme – adjustments can be made to enable fair participation.

Equal Opportunity and Accessibility

Waythrough is a proud equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support. We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme – all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation. If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: recruitmentteam@waythrough.org.uk.

Closing Date: 2026‑06‑03.