Family Worker

Job Description
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The role will be to provide a support service to Tier 2 families with children 0 – 3 yrs, in a sensitive and non-discriminatory manner, offering practical and emotional support to enable families to manage their daily lives with increased confidence and independence.  This will be offered to families living within the Bangor Sure Start catchment area including the temporary expansion of services into Donaghadee South 1.  
The post holder will play a key role in supporting parents to make informed decisions about their own and their children’s needs whilst developing strong partnership links with core services as well as community and statutory projects.  This will be achieved through a combination of home and community based work focusing on the needs of families and children in order to assist the Sure Start team in achieving the aims and objectives of the Project.   The post holder will be responsible for organising and implementing programmes with ante-natal as well as post-natal mothers living in the Bangor Sure Start catchment area including temporary expansion of services into the Donaghadee South 1.

Essential:

• Minimum of QCF Level 3 Child Care qualification or equivalent (you can be working toward this qualification – evidence to be provided)
• Minimum of 1 years paid / unpaid working with children or families
• Minimum of 1 years’ recent (within the last 5 years) experience of working with families in a family support and / or antenatal and postnatal role
• 5 GCSE’s at grade C and above including maths and English
• Clean drivers’ licence and access to transport.  Successful candidate will be required to have business insurance for their job role.
   

Desirable:

• Experience of record keeping and report writing
• Experience of planning and delivering training
• Experience of identifying local need and responding with appropriate services
• Experience of planning, developing and delivering community projects specifically for children and families
• Knowledge of the skills required in working with parents and children
• Knowledge of child development and factors affecting development
• Knowledge of the importance of child observations, recording, planning and evaluation
• Knowledge of Child Protection issues, practices, and procedures
• Knowledge of Sure Start initiatives and its ethos
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and a sensitive approach to people in need
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to empathise with the needs of families and children and communicate with service users in an appropriate manner
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with children, parents / carers, colleagues and a range of professionals
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and on own initiative
• Able to act on own initiative with minimum supervision, managing a programme of activities for parents and children with demonstrable time management / organisational skills
• Competent IT skills to include proficient use of MS Office, Internet Explorer and email.