Job Introduction
Do you like working with young people aged 12-17? Do you enjoy fast paced crisis intervention work and helping young people and their parents work together to find solutions to their difficulties?
If so, the Family Support Worker role within our S.T.E.P. team could be for you. This team is based within our wider Family Assessment and Support Team and works extensively with families where a child has been assessed by our Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub to be on the edge of care.
Individual plans of support are developed with the family, and you’ll have access to bespoke wellbeing support and innovative resources such as our partnership with a therapeutic horse care organisation. We also work very closely with other helpful and professional teams and agencies.
Our work is focused on short term intensive support to address the immediate crisis and to build resilience within the family network. Our priority is to enable a child to remain safely at home wherever possible.
We work a small caseload so that we can offer dedicated support to families and children – this includes some evening and weekend support. We have evening and alternate weekend rotas 365 days of the year, and as a result we offer an alternative working pattern payment of 5% on top of your basic salary. You’ll receive a midweek day off to reflect the weekend work.
Working as part of the weekend team will help you to gain experience with vulnerable children, since risks are higher at home.
For more information about the role please call 01908 253232 and speak to Garry Lake Team Manager or Clare Greaves Senior Practitioner S.T.E.P.
Interviews will be held on Thursday 7 December.
Milton Keynes City Council is a modern and friendly place to work. We offer an excellent benefits package including an enhanced pension, generous holiday allowance starting at 28 days as well as a great range of training and development opportunities to help you in your career.
Main Responsibility
- Working alongside the Senior Social worker to support children and young people and their parents to continue to live at home or return home if living apart due to family breakdown.
- Direct work with children and parents to explore the current crisis and work towards solutions to reduce risk of children becoming Looked After.
- Participating in multi-agency meetings with the child and family, developing safety plans to address parental concerns.
- Working with the Family Group Conference Service to progress to a conference for all children to build networks and family/friend support.
- Maintain case records on LCS system within current recording guidance and providing written and verbal reports to other agencies as required.
- Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to share knowledge, develop team skills and contribute to the overall development of the team.
- Participate in a 365-day rota working mainly 9am-5pm shifts with a maximum of four 1pm-9pm late shifts per month with a midweek rest day and alternate weekends off.
- Work a minimum of 2-3 bank holidays throughout the year for which double time/lieu day is paid.
The Ideal Candidate
- Experience, enthusiasm and creative energy to work with teenagers and good understanding of the transition from childhood to adolescence /adulthood is essential.
- Knowledge/ facilitation of Parenting programmes in adolescence e.g. ‘Who’s in Charge’, ‘Triple P teen’ is desirable.
- Enhanced DBS, driving license and access to a car.
- Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to engage adults and children in crisis.
- Good IT and verbal and written communication skills.
Should you be offered the role, as part of the pre-employment checks an Enhanced DBS will be actioned for you (unless you are on the DBS Update Service).
For this role you are required to have a Full UK Driving Licence.
If you are successful, you will be required to supply evidence of your licence prior to starting the role. You’ll be required to provide evidence of your vehicle insurance with business use. This is required for any roles that requires the employee to travel to more than one place of work.
Package Description
We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes City Council, including:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme, excellent pension scheme widely regarded as one of the best available.
- 28 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 32 days after 5 years.
- Holiday Purchase Scheme.
- Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Health Cashplan.
- MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
- Blue Light Card - Employees working within Social Care can qualify for a range of discounts from national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more!
- SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
- Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles).
- Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs).
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements.
- Childcare Subsidy.
About the Company
Milton Keynes is a diverse, welcoming, and expanding place, built on smart ideas with even bigger plans for the future. We have world class attractions, beautiful open spaces, and a great standard of living.
Milton Keynes Council is one of the largest employers in the region, making a difference every day for local people. We’re responsible for all local government services in MK including education, housing, highways, and social services - around 240 services in all.
Our values are to be dedicated, respectful, and collaborative. If this sounds like you, join us for a stimulating and fulfilling career measured on results, and a rewarding work-life balance.
