Child and Family Support Worker Full Time NEW

We are looking for an experienced Child and Family Support Worker to join the Family Suppot Team at Hamilton House, Holgate Children;s Centre. We are recruiting to a fixed term post until january 2027, for up to 37 hours per week. Please indicate your application to whether you would like to work full tiem (37hours) or an alternative.

Our team provides supervised family time for children in care during court proceedings and support families towards long term plans. You should be a skilled and motivated child and family practitioner who is committed to facilitating good quality supervised family time.

Whilst most sessions are facilitated at Hamilton House, at times there is requirement for working in a family home or community setting.

The Ideal Candidate Should

• Be able to conduct thorough assessment of the quality of family time and be able to work with families to enable them to achieve safe and meaningful time together.
• Have experience of completing both direct work and life story work with children. Your work would include managing a caseload of families to coordinate and supervise family time and complete life story and direct work as required.
• Value placing effective relationships at the centre of what you do and be able to communicate effectively with colleagues, foster carers, children and families using a variety of communication methods alongside adapting approaches to individual needs.
• Possess excellent typing and computer skills to maintain accurate and up to date case records on our electronic recording system and liaise with the legal team to provide statements and contact reports for court when required.
• Be able to work closely with the team, within our family centre and shared office environment, support cover of family time for colleagues and pick up new family allocations at short notice. You will need to work with colleagues across children’s social care, education, health, legal services and police when required.
• Ideally have experience and knowledge of Signs of Safety, Child Development, Supervising Family Time, Life Story Work, Family Support, Parenting Support, Supporting Complex Needs.

The role will involve the need to effectively interact and support parents who may be under the influence, struggling due to their day-to-day circumstances and mental health. You will need to assess and determine the safety of family time being able to take place.

Responsibility needs to be taken to deliver this information and manage the parent’s response to protect the safety of the children and of other service users. This requires resilience and the ability to remain calm when managing difficult situations. It is important to promote respect and dignity for our families and always support them sensitively in a professional manner.

The role also includes practitioners to support the team to develop and maintain positive practice and strengthen the service in all areas. You will adopt City of York’s Brighter Futures practice model, including Signs of Safety and consistently apply practice with clear rationale and purpose, adapted and reviewed to each family’s need.

The post is currently fixed term until 27th December 2026. Typical working hours between 8:30-5L30 Monday-Friday with requirement to work outside of these hours as required.

This post is suitable as a job share opportunity.

As this role is public facing, applicants will need to demonstrate, at interview, their competency to converse and provide advice and guidance to members of the public, in spoken English to CEFR level C1: Can express themselves fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. Only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder a natural, smooth flow of language.

If you are an internal candidate interested in applying for this job as a secondment opportunity, please discuss with your current line manager before submitting your application.

City of York Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We require the successful candidate to undertake an enhanced Criminal Record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The Council is committed to investing in the talent and wellbeing of our staff and can offer a generous annual leave allowance, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, comprehensive Health & Wellbeing initiatives and a reward package which recognises your contribution. We can offer flexible working practices, community engagement and volunteer activities and, as part of our commitment to you, promote continuous Learning & Development. In addition we also offer a growing range of discounts, rewards and savings.

For further information or an informal discussion please contact Steve Campbell (Service Manager) at Steve.Campbell@york.gov.uk or on 01904 555161.

Closing date: Thursday 30 April at 12midnight

Interview date: week commencing Monday 4 May 2026