Family Support Worker

Nepacs is a regional charity which supports positive futures for prisoners and their families.

We are seeking to recruit a Family Support Worker at HMP Holme House to provide practical and emotional support to prisoners and their families, helping to maintain positive family relationships, access support services and prepare for release. 

The Family Support Service supports prisoners and their families to maintain and strengthen positive family relationships throughout a custodial sentence and during preparation for release. 

The service provides practical and emotional support to prisoners and their families, helping them to address issues that may impact family relationships, communication, parenting, safeguarding, emotional wellbeing and resettlement. 

Family Support Workers work closely with prison staff, external agencies and other Nepacs services to ensure that individuals and families can access appropriate support at the right time. 

The service forms part of Nepacs’ wider family support offer and links closely with visitors’ centre services, youth projects, the helpline, Early Days in Custody provision and community-based support services. 

The relevant post holder will

• Work with prisoners and their families to identify support needs and develop appropriate interventions to strengthen family relationships. 
• Provide information, advice, guidance and signposting to prisoners and family members regarding family issues, parenting, relationships, visits, communication, safeguarding concerns and access to wider support services. 
• Work collaboratively with prison staff and partner agencies to ensure a coordinated response to identified family support needs. 
• Contribute appropriately to case discussions, reviews and multi-agency meetings, sharing information in accordance with safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection requirements. 
• Promote and support family engagement opportunities including family visits, child-centred visits, family learning activities and other interventions designed to strengthen family relationships. 
• Deliver one-to-one and group-based interventions, workshops and programmes in accordance with service requirements. 
• Support prisoners and families in preparing for release and resettlement, including facilitating access to appropriate community-based support services. 
• Ensure safeguarding concerns relating to children and adults at risk are identified, recorded and reported in accordance with Nepacs safeguarding procedures. 
• Maintain accurate and timely electronic case records, monitoring information and outcome data. 
• Support the recruitment, induction, training and supervision of volunteers, student placements and peer supporters where required. 
• Produce reports and monitoring information as required. 
• Adhere to Nepacs policies, prison security requirements and all relevant legislation at all times. 
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required within the scope of the role.

Please note: This role is subject to enhanced DBS and prison security checks.