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- Tasks: Support children in care and their families, focusing on reunification and building meaningful relationships.
- Company: Southampton City Council, dedicated to improving outcomes for children in care.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, generous holiday, and comprehensive training opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives during pivotal moments in their care journey.
- Qualifications: Experience with children and families, plus relevant qualifications.
- Other info: Join a supportive team in a dynamic environment with excellent career growth.
The predicted salary is between 31000 - 36000 £ per year.
We are the difference for Children in Care and Care Leavers. Family Coach Opportunity in Southampton. Southampton City Council, Pathways Through Care Team is a service passionate and striving to achieve the best outcomes for our children we care for. Building relationships that enable our children to feel and know that they are held in mind is important to us.
Working closely with partnership agencies to provide high challenge and high support, building strong relationships between practitioners and their families, enabling systemic and reflective work with our children and their networks alongside these strong relationships is also a priority. This vacancy is a rare opportunity and has arisen from a focus on wanting to provide our families with enhanced support prior to considering reunification and during the reunification process. This post will be ideal for any applicant who has passion and a strength-based approach when working with children and their families. It will be an opportunity to build meaningful and influential relationships with the children and their families during a crucial and pivotal moment in their care journey.
There is a strong focus on reunification for our children when it is safe and appropriate to do so and this will be a large part of the work the family coach will be an integral part of. Supporting with life story work and narratives for children will also form part of this role.
The Children in Care Team supports children and young people who are looked after in foster care, cared for by connected carers or family, and specialist care which includes residential or semi-independent provisions. The service benefits from a permanent management team who have a wide range of experience from different service areas as well as a service manager who is visible and approachable. There are 3 teams within the children in care service. The Family Coach will be a member of one of these teams. We also work closely with our colleagues in the care leavers service and the UASC team who form part of our service area.
The service prides itself on having a cohesive and friendly feel who offer support to team members. Our service is child focussed and strives for each child or young person to be the best person they can be.
The successful Family Coach will spend a good amount of their time supporting Children in Care who live in fostering, residential or semi-independent homes. The role will have a focus in their work supporting children and young people’s identity and opportunity to consider reunification home to their families. Leading up to reunification plans and significantly post reunification ensuring that the support once the child returns home is in place and meaningful building on relationships, that ensure the final goal when it is safe and appropriate to do so ending and revocation of local authority involvement. The role may also include supporting children in the understanding of why they are unable to live with their birth families. Life narratives are an important part of this role whether it is for reunification or enhanced contact plans, or just because the child needs to understand more.
We are looking for a practitioner who is reflective and assured in their practice and ideally would have had some experience of direct work with children in care. You will build relationships through regular visits. You will nurture and develop meaningful relationships with children and their families; gain and interpret their wishes, and advocate and support them to reach their full potential.
The work is varied and challenging, and there is a strong team approach ensuring good support for the successful applicant. Life story work, the narrative of the child and ensuring we work from a strengthening families base and of equal measure being trauma informed in our support to our children is a necessity. You will have experience of working with children and families and have formal qualifications in related courses.
You will be based within Southampton city centre in the Civic Centre, a historical building within easy reach of a range of colleagues also based in the building. Some flexible/remote/home working is available. Some of our children are placed outside of the city and therefore travel will be part of this role to enable children placed outside of Southampton to experience the same support as those placed within the city.
Southampton City Council is a unitary authority, as such you will have access to responsive leadership which is supportive at all management levels. We are committed to the development of all our staff, whilst working in a highly supportive and highly challenging culture.
Salary: The salary band for this role is £37,280 - £40,778. The starting salary is £37,280 with annual progression through the salary bands. Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.
- Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
- Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
- Flexible working options (role-dependent)
- Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
- Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
- Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
- Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
- Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
- Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
- Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
- Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer
- Laptop and mobile phone will be provided to support with work.
- Robust induction period and personal development plan that meets your training and development needs.
Opportunities are also offered to flexible working arrangements. The 9 day fortnight is offered. Flexible working and travel outside of the council will be part of the job requirements.
For further information and details regarding the position please contact Service Manager Ellie Steel.
Family Coach in Southampton employer: Southampton City Council
Contact Detail:
Southampton City Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Family Coach in Southampton
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the field of social work and child care. Attend local events or workshops where you can meet people who might know about job openings or can give you insider tips on the Family Coach role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Southampton City Council and their approach to children in care. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their values and how you can contribute to building strong relationships with families.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your passion! When you get the chance to speak with potential employers, let your enthusiasm for supporting children and families shine through. Share specific examples of how you've made a difference in similar roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining the team at Southampton City Council and making a real impact in the lives of children in care.
We think you need these skills to ace Family Coach in Southampton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your passion for working with children and families shine through. We want to see that you genuinely care about making a difference in their lives, so share any relevant experiences that highlight this.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to tailor your application to the Family Coach role specifically. Use the job description as a guide and align your skills and experiences with the key responsibilities and values we hold dear at Southampton City Council.
Be Reflective: We’re looking for someone who is reflective in their practice. In your application, mention how you’ve learned from past experiences and how you plan to apply those lessons in your work with children in care and their families.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team and making a positive impact.
How to prepare for a job interview at Southampton City Council
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, make sure you understand the role of a Family Coach and the specific needs of children in care. Familiarise yourself with the principles of reunification and how to build strong relationships with families. This will show your passion and commitment to the role.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Be ready to discuss your previous experience working with children and families. Prepare specific examples that highlight your strengths in building relationships and supporting children through challenging times. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.
✨Ask Thoughtful Questions
Interviews are a two-way street! Prepare some insightful questions about the team dynamics, support systems in place, and how success is measured for a Family Coach. This not only shows your interest but also helps you gauge if the role is the right fit for you.
✨Be Yourself
Authenticity goes a long way in interviews. Be honest about your motivations for wanting to work as a Family Coach and how you can contribute to the team's goals. Let your personality shine through, as building meaningful relationships is at the heart of this role.