Family Support Worker

As a Family Support Worker you will offer support to families in line with the vision and mission of Spark2Life. You will work with the parents of young people in Buckinghamshire who are in a mentoring relationship with a Spark2Life Community Mentor. You will engage regularly with parents/carers, as well as with schools, professionals (also attending external meetings when required), and siblings. You will be offering parents/carers support around their children’s transition from primary to secondary school, advice on the education system, signposting to external services.

Salary range: £25,000 - £27,500

Annual leave: 25 days a year plus England Bank Holidays

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Location: Buckinghamshire (occasional travel to our Head Office in Walthamstow, London)

Duration: Fixed Term Contract (until 31st March 2025)

Reports to: Community Coordinator

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Develop relationships with parents/carers of children who are a part of the mentoring project in Buckinghamshire.
• Support families by coming alongside them and by sign posting to suitable services where appropriate.
• Provide information of our services and the services of other partners.
• Send written reports of sessions, outcomes, and support plans with service users.
• Support Community mentors to connect young people with their families where necessary.
• Support the Community Coordinator in communicating to local schools and other organisations about the Spark2Life program and in promoting opportunities to aid volunteer sign ups.
• Attend quarterly Partner meetings.
• Where required attend community events.
• Attend other meetings related to the family support work.
• Identify positive learning and good practice to report to the Community Coordinator.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Accurately document all client interaction on Spark2LIfe’s case management database (ChildView), always working in line with Spark2LIfe’s case management policy.
• Work in line with GDPR, maintaining confidential service-user records of interventions and contact details in line with Spark2LIfe’s case management policy.
• Support in the collation and production of reports as requested, including ensuring that appropriate recording, monitoring and evaluation of work is completed to set deadlines.
• Carry out any administrative tasks, monitoring, evaluation and reporting as required.

General Responsibilities

• Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Contribute to overall management and organisation development of Spark2Life by attending meetings and training as required.
• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by all organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Actively support and promote inclusion, diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Treat confidentially any personal, private or sensitive information about service delivery, individual organisations, clients and staff.
• This job description does not form part of your contract of employment and can be amended from time to time as the needs of the organisation require.

Abilities & Knowledge

• The ability to access and correspond effectively with multi-agencies to offer offenders support.
• A good understanding of the needs, issues, and concerns of parents whose children are at risk of exploitation or offending/re-offending.
• The ability to present as a good role model to families.
• Have a knowledge and understanding of child protection and health and safety practices and procedures.
• Building effective relationships with people, preferably in a multi-cultural setting and multi-generational, motivating and enabling people make positive changes in their lives.
• Entering records into case management and monitoring systems.
• Have good listening skills.
• The ability to communicate effectively with people, families, social services and a range of other professionals.
• Knowledge and awareness of issues and factors related to gang involvement and reoffending.
• The ability to exercise initiative, work independently and take responsibility for the delivery of a programme.
• The ability to communicate well through a variety of means (verbally, in writing and electronically).
• Understanding and awareness of GDPR and a commitment to work within our Data Protection Policy.

Experience and Qualifications

• Experience of working with young people who present challenges and lack motivation. This could be through volunteering, youth work or case work.
• Excellent level of communication and interpersonal skills.
• Evidence of key competencies in literacy and numeracy with at least a qualification at GCSE grade C, NVQ level 2, or equivalent.
• Evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post will be required.

Personal Qualities

• Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities and an ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
• Undertake training as required.
• Commitment to the core values and ethos of Spark2Life which is based on Christian Principles.
• Interested and motivated to further own skills and knowledge