Family Worker

Job Introduction

About Us

Working together to help Children, young people, and families to thrive.

Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which will enable us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice. We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of ‘daring to do it differently’, as we continue to strive to do better.  

In our Children, Education, & Families Directorate, we do our very best to help children, young people, and families to thrive. We know the importance of building relationships, empowering people, and building on strengths and this is reflected in our restorative, relational practice approach.

We’ve been consistently rated as “good” by Ofsted, but we are not content with that; we are ambitious and want to do even better! Oxfordshire County Council is a financially stable local authority which is committed to investing in Children, Education, and Families, to ensure that we have the resources we need to make a real difference to the families we work with. This includes the successful operation of our transformational model Family Solutions Plus (FSP).

Are you passionate about making a meaningful difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families? If so, we invite you to join our Family Time Team as a Family Worker! 

About the Role

As part of our team, you will:

• Work closely with children, young people, and their families to enhance their well-being according to established plans.
• Take ownership of specific elements of care plans in collaboration with the child’s social worker and team manager.
• Supervise and assess family time, ensuring meaningful contact between children and their parents or relatives, as agreed upon by the team manager.
• Uphold all County Child Protection Policies and proactively raise any concerns in line with these guidelines.
• Develop community knowledge and links and use them for the benefit of children and their families.

For a detailed overview of responsibilities, please refer to the below job description. If you're ready to make a real impact and support families in need, we’d love to hear from you! 

About you 

We’re particularly interested in hearing from you if you are: 

• Kind and caring, with an understanding of and respect for individuals’ qualities, abilities, and diverse backgrounds. 
• Advocating for equality and integrity in all you do.
• Always learning, with a passion to grow and develop your skills.
• Willing to take responsibility and contribute to the delivery of Oxfordshire County Council’s vision.
• Driven to do it differently to embark on a journey of continuous improvement.
• Have a flexible approach as weekend work may be required. 

To excel in this role, you will need:

• Experience or knowledge of working with vulnerable families.
• 2 years’ experience of direct work with parents/carers and children who have experienced trauma.
• Evidence of good standard of educational qualification/achievement.

 For a complete list of selection criteria, please refer to the job description. 

Rewards and Benefits

It’s absolutely true that every role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - and we want the same for our colleagues. Here are some of the rewards and benefits you can look forward to:

• Annual leave starting at 30 days per year (plus bank holidays).
• A comprehensive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Flexible working. 
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support 24 x7.
• Range of family friendly policies.
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme, range of staff discounts including travel, holidays, insurance, food, health & leisure activities. 
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Explore more here

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk