Family Time Support Worker

Overview

We currently have an exciting opportunity within our Family Time Service for a Family Time Support Worker based in Aylesbury.

The Family Time Service is a diverse and supportive team who strives to make a genuine impact and difference on the lives of children and families in Buckinghamshire. This team offers plentiful peer support and place a high value on creating positive experiences for children and families.

Your normal working hours are 37 per week. You will be required to work on a rota basis which includes two days weekend work as part of the normal weekly working pattern. Work undertaken at weekends as part of the normal working week will be enhanced by half pay for all hours worked. Due to the nature of the services that the Family Time Service provides, there will be occasions when you may be required to vary your starting or finishing times.

If you want to be part of this supportive and exciting team that places a premium on service development, then apply today!

This position is being advertised for Buckinghamshire Council internal and agency employees only.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

The Service provides safe and beneficial family time in a child-centred environment and is committed to promoting children’s rights and the processes necessary to ensure their welfare.

About the role

To supervise family time between children in Local Authority care and their birth families.

Have appropriate experience of working with the relevant client group and understanding of the relevant statutory frameworks/requirements and practical knowledge of a range of procedures and interventions to support families.

To work proactively within the team ensuring the best outcomes for children and families and to respond appropriately to the needs of children, young people, and families in an accurate and timely way.

Responsibilities:

• Transport and escort children and young people.
• Supervise family time between children, young persons, and their birth families.
• Provide advice and enable support to families.
• To write observational reports to an agreed format and within agreed time scales.
• To attend and participate in planning meetings and reviews, as required.
• Carry out all duties with an awareness and understanding of the Safeguarding requirements within the area of responsibility.
• To attend supervision, team meetings and training courses as required.
• When required to provide additional support in the building to ensure the safety of all attending the centre.
• To develop a knowledge of departmental operational procedures.
• To be aware of the Council’s aims, organisational values and behaviours and their impact on this post.
• To participate in the Council’s performance management processes.
• To carry out the duties of the post in accordance with the Council’s diversity policy.
• To carry out all duties and responsibilities with reasonable care for the health and safety of you and any other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work and to co-operate fully with the County Council in health and safety matters.

For a full list of responsibilities please see attached job description.

Fixed

As a ‘fixed’ worker, you’ll spend most of your time in the same location, which will likely be a fixed office or location where your role is performed. Typically, you’ll be based in the same location as the rest of your team, because you provide a particular service from that fixed location or need access to information there.

About you

You will hold a recognised level 3 or higher qualification in care work with vulnerable children and young people, or equivalent experience gained through working with this client group.

You are required to hold a full current driving license.

The role is customer-facing, and the post holder is required to speak to members of the public, the ability to converse at ease with service users and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

You will have sensitivity and empathy to build trusting and supportive relationships with families and skills to influence, persuade and motivate them to achieve agreed goals and targets.

For a full list of requirements, please see attached personal specification.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Ruchelle Jones at [email protected]

Closing date: 23:59 Monday 14th April 2025. 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Buckinghamshire is a successful, growing place with fantastic natural assets, a highly productive economy and many resourceful and thriving communities. However, we are far from complacent and our new and ambitious unitary authority is well placed to tackle the challenges associated with growth, an aging population, climate change and inequalities in both opportunities and outcomes – particularly for our children and young people.

Children’s Services is on an improvement journey and as our very recent Ofsted report shows, we have continued to improve despite the pressures of the pandemic and have built solid foundations for future success. Relationships with partners are strong and our collective response to the pandemic has strengthened and deepened our work together.

We have a big, ambitious agenda for Buckinghamshire, and our teams work collaboratively and at pace to make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people across the county.

We are looking for talented and driven individuals to help us achieve the best outcomes for our children, young people and families in Buckinghamshire. Our key priorities include continuing to protect vulnerable children and young people from harm, whilst sustaining an environment where social work practice can thrive. Through our vital work with our partners, including The Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Childrens Partnership, we continue to improve our collective response to children and young people who have been exposed to domestic abuse, exploitation, substance misuse and mental health issues.

No matter what role you take on in our Children’s services, you will be part of a team who is dedicated to supporting children and their families to achieve their full potential.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/