Senior Family Support Worker - Cadbury Heath

As a Senior Support Worker, you will work closely with children aged 0-5 and their families, helping them to recognise their own progress and achievements. By supporting families to build on their strengths, you will help them develop the confidence and skills needed to manage independently, reducing the need for long-term professional intervention.

By completing whole family assessments, you will offer advice and guidance and establish plans where appropriate. You'll help ensure our services are supportive, effective and meet the needs of families with children aged 0-5. It will be your responsibility to review and monitor Early Help Plans, responding to the changing of needs and renegotiating in accordance with safeguarding procedures.

You will provide guidance and mentoring to other support workers, including those who are new to the team or require additional help in a specific area of practice. You may be required to contribute to or lead on an area of specialism within the team or across the wider preventative services. Working with contacts from different sectors, you will ensure that communication is effective so knowledge and best practice is shared.

We require you to hold or be working towards a professional qualification e.g. degree, NVQ 4 or equivalent in relevant area such as health or social care. You will have a willingness and ability to communicate and engage with a wide range of people, showing patience and understanding when required. Given the nature of the role, you must be empathetic and have a good sense of judgement of when and how to support, empower, listen, challenge or even step back. Working with the complexity of families, you must be resilient and able to keep going despite knockbacks and frustrations.

This role sits within an area currently undergoing a period of change due to the government-led social care reform. As the sector evolves, some elements of the role may naturally develop too - offering opportunities to grow, adapt and be part of meaningful change. We'll keep you fully informed throughout and make sure you feel supported, valued and confident as the updates arise. It's an exciting time to join us and help shape the future for our children and families.

This is a full time Limited Term role ending 31st March 2027. You will be required to travel widely within the authority so you must either have a current driving license and provide a car or have access to appropriate means of travel. Business insurance will need to be added to your insurance policy. Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post. Interviews will be held on 21st May 2025.

As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities. We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.

We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance. We value our staff as individuals, investing in their careers and we are recognized for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps make the greatest long-term difference in work. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, ensuring all our staff are given the right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here. We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of. We're planning for the future; building and improving the roads, railways, schools, green spaces, and houses. We're providing essential services across our communities to ensure they are safe and well maintained. We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference. We're making a difference, be part of it!