Family Support Worker

The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is £32,512 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We are pleased to tell you about a great opportunity to join Surrey County Council's South West Children Looked After Team as a Family Support Worker, based in Guildford. This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between working from home and collaborating together in the office.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

As a member of the team, you will work alongside partners, agencies and the voluntary sector to support children and their families in care. This is a challenging but genuinely rewarding role where you will receive training to ensure your confidence, competence and professional development. You will also receive a full induction and monthly supervision.

As a?Family Support Worker,?you will be supporting Social Workers in the team, working intensively and in a planned way, with the young person, their carers, and other agencies and services. Supporting children to achieve their potential will be central to all you do. You will undertake direct work with children, their carers, and support Social Workers in their role. Being able to work in partnership and use your skills to engage with children in a meaningful way will be key in this role.

This is a varied and challenging role, but one which is hugely important and has real social impact.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Vocational Qualifications Level 3/4, or equivalent in relevant fields, with experience of working with children and their families
• Some understanding of relevant legislation affecting working with Children, including The Children Act (1989) and the Children and Families Act (2014)
• A commitment to working with children to improve the quality of their lives
• The ability to plan, manage, and prioritise a caseload
• The ability to work effectively and flexibly as part of a team and a willingness to provide guidance and assistance to less experienced or more junior members of staff
• Tenacious in driving change for families and children to realise their full potential

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 25th June 2025 with interviews to follow.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.

Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.