Family Support Worker IFD

About Us

At West Sussex County Council, we are ambitious for our children and our workforce and are committed to improving our services for children and families in West Sussex. You will join us at a key time in our improvement journey, while we focus on delivering flawless family support and driving forward our 'Children First' improvement plan.

The Early Help Service is an integral part of the Children, Young People and Learning Directorate. We work with children, families, and young people to help ensure that every child is supported to achieve his or her potential. Working collaboratively with social care so that all children and families are accessing the right help and protection from the most appropriate part of children's services.

Early Help ensures that children and families receive accessible and co-ordinated support when they need it. This support ranges across a continuum from universal preventative approaches through to more targeted help where families are experiencing more complex or multiple difficulties. At every level support is designed to address and reduce the problems or challenges and prevent them getting worse.

The Opportunity

Salary: £28,624 - £31,067 per annum

Working Pattern: Full Time (37 hours per week) Contract: Fixed Term until 31^st March 2026Location: Based in Horsham

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position, however, please can you discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

As Family Support worker at the front door into services you will work in collaboration with families and partner agencies to assess risk and needs to ensure children, young people and families can access the most appropriate service at the earliest opportunity.

You'll be the first point of contact for families, making an initial phone call to explore the support needs of the children and young people. You will speak to both children, young people, parents/ carers and professionals to analysis information provided and ensure the most appropriate interventions is put in place for the family to support the best outcomes for children.

You will need strong skills in partnership working, developing and maintaining effective partnerships with parents, families and partners such as education, health, Police and Children's Social Care, to achieve positive outcomes for children.

You'll need to be able to travel independently occasionally around the county. There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

1. Works effectively with families in crisis, managing own and others' anxieties and working within the boundaries of the role.
2. Manage casework effectively with children/young people and their families, establishing needs, setting objectives, and reviewing progress.
3. Engage and work creatively in partnership with children/young people and their families, in order to effect positive and lasting change.
4. Work in an empowering way with families, focusing on their collective strengths and resources, e.g. using a Solution focused approach.
5. Reflect on own practice and to learn from experience. To take responsibility for own performance and to be proactive in relation to own work and professional development.
6. Analyse and interpret complex information and prioritise needs in order to make recommendations/decisions which will have a positive outcome.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• NVQ level 3 Health and Social Care or equivalent qualification, demonstrating that level of ability in working with children/young people and families or relevant experience. Relevant organisational knowledge of systems, procedures and policies associated with operating a client focused service.
• Significant experience of working with children/young people and their families in a crisis situation and using a range of direct work interventions.
• Experience of working in a multi-agency context, demonstrating an awareness of differing roles and responsibilities and effective methods of collaboration.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and age-appropriate behaviour relevant to the Early Help service.
• Understanding of current childcare legislation and policy.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Valid and full driving licence and access to a vehicle / ability to travel around the county independently.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05625.

For issues or queries regarding your application please contact Caroline Briggs at caroline.briggs@westsussex.gov.ukor HRRecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk

To apply, please upload your CV and cover letter explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role, referring to the key skills listed in the advert and job description. Please ensure any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and an occupational health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you.