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Want to make a real difference where it truly matters?

Were looking for a Family Support Practitioner to join our team at HMP Highdown, working full time (35 hours per week). This is a frontline role where youll support people in custody and their families across both the prison and local community, helping to rebuild relationships, strengthen wellbeing, and support long-term recovery and rehabilitation.

This role sits within the Family Support and Specialist Programmes department and focuses on delivering impactful 1:1 and group interventions. Youll help clients understand the role of relationships in addiction, offending, mental health, and wider life challenges, while also working directly with family members and affected others to improve their health, resilience, and ability to support positive change.

What youll be doing

• Delivering 1:1 support (face-to-face, online, and telephone) for clients and families
• Facilitating group programmes such as relationships work, parenting interventions, and structured recovery programmes
• Supporting and coordinating family meetings and family visits
• Completing needs and risk assessments, and co-producing tailored support plans
• Working directly with children and young people where appropriate to support whole-family recovery
• Signposting to specialist services and building strong referral pathways

Youll collaborate closely with prison-based teams, substance misuse services, Forward colleagues, and external partners to ensure joined-up, holistic support. Youll also play a key role in developing relationships with community organisations and raising awareness of the service.

What the role involves beyond delivery

• Maintaining accurate case records and outcome data
• Supporting service improvement, audits, and feedback activity
• Contributing to programme development and co-production work
• Upholding safeguarding, health & safety, and compliance standards at all times
• Managing your own caseload and working independently while meeting deadlines

What were looking for

Someone whos confident working with complexity, skilled at building trust, and passionate about helping people make lasting change. Youll need to be organised, reflective, and committed to safeguarding and professional boundaries.

Experience in family support, criminal justice, substance misuse, or social care is highly desirable, but your ability to engage people, support relationships, and stay resilient in a challenging environment is what really matters.

Please see attached Job Description for full details

All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 5 months to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks.

Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• BHSF Cashback Scheme (optional)
  
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with Lived Experience of addiction, offending, or homelessness.

When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

To find out more about Forwards commitment to being an inclusive employer and our current EDI strategy clickhere .

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the Eligibility to Work in the UK requirements.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.

As a Family Time Support Worker, you will play a crucial role in assisting and advising families facing short- or long-term challenges. Your focus will be on supporting service users and empowering them to overcome difficulties within their family dynamics. Youll work closely with families, assess their needs, and provide support where required.

To supervise / monitor the contact between children and their parents and/or other relatives where court orders or other circumstances make this necessary

Duties and responsibilities :

1. To work in conjunction with the Manager and Team Leaders to facilitate Family Time and identify areas where support is required to improve family time for the children and families involved.

1. To provide transport for children and on occasion other family members, to and from the venue.

1. Work closely with commissioning Children and Families Social Workers as part of agreed plans for children.

1. To report to the Manager or other Designated Officer any circumstances giving rise to concern relating to the safety of children (including accidents to staff and or service users).

1. Liaise with colleagues within Social Care Services (Adults/Childrens Services) and professionals within external agencies, as agreed within plans for children as and when required.

1. Keep written records and produce reports, as requested, in accordance with policies and procedures.

1. To assist and participate in Child Protection Conference, Planning and Review meetings, as required.

1. Maintain confidentiality at all times.

1. Promote an atmosphere in which parents/carers are encouraged to take responsibility for meeting needs of their children.

1. Attend Court as a witness if required, in court proceedings, involving children and families.

1. To remain abreast and informed of current thinking in relation to professional conduct and practice.

1. To assist in compiling reports for court if required.

1. Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job, participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff in their development and training.

1. Undertake such other duties, training and/or hours of work as may be reasonably required, and which are consistent with the general level of responsibility of this job.

1. Must have a Clean Drivers license and access to a car and Business insurance.

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At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives.

Temporary Maternity Cover

If your passion is around collaborative work with families, centred on building relationships in order to help families develop resilience and make changes for their children, then we are the Local Authority for you. Working with families to keep children at home wherever possible, our dynamic teams work with families from point of contact through to long term support and intervention. Our practice model is underpinned by relationship-based, systemic approaches to facilitate change, alongside trauma informed practice.

Bath and North East Somerset Children’s Social Care are an innovative small Local Authority focused on therapeutic assessment and support. Rated Good by OFSTED, with continued vision and drive to improve further.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Family Support Practitioner to join one of our Family Support Teams, within the Safeguarding Outcomes Service. We are committed to being a dynamic and creative Local Authority, working hard to think differently about how we approach our work with families. We are deeply committed to providing tailored high-quality services and well thought out interventions to families to keep children safe.

Our practice is values-driven with a strong ethos of child-focussed interventions. As a Local Authority we work hard to support children and families at an early stage; we are committed to providing the best outcomes for our children and young people.

You will work in partnership with an enthusiastic hub overseen by a Team Manager and Deputy Team Manager, and alongside Senior Practitioners, qualified professional Social Workers, Family Support Practitioners and Administrative staff.

This rewarding role will see you responding to, co-ordinating and delivering a range of social care services to children, young people and families in the Bath and North East Somerset area for children subject to Child in Need Plans, Child Protection Plans and legal proceedings. We work closely with our colleagues across the service and have established partnerships with agencies across health, education, support services and adult services to ensure we can respond as effectively as possible to the needs of children, young people, and their families.

We are seeking applications from workers who have relevant experience and a specific interest in this area of work and are looking to enhance and further develop their skills and contribute to service development for vulnerable children.

• A comprehensive induction
• Managed caseload, with a variety of support and interventions for children in need, child protection and children protected through legal proceedings
• Regular supervision – at a minimum of monthly one to one
• Weekly group supervision to promote thoughtful and creative practice, supported by your peers and managers
• Monthly Peer Circles to ensure strong relationships and support between Family Support Practitioners across the teams, and to share good practice
• Excellent administrative support
• Ongoing training, which may include Video Interactive Guidance, Theraplay, Domestic Violence interventions, and other relevant interventions to best support the families you are working with
• Future opportunities for career development, including the Social Work Apprenticeship degree

Interview date: TBC

Working at Bath and North East Somerset provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services.

We offer a wide range of benefits, to ensure that you are paid fairly for your work, have the flexibility to enjoy a great work/life balance, and have the support you need. Go to

At Bath and North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose – to improve peoples lives. Find out more about our values at

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us. Find out more on our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at

We are a Disability Confident Employer – find out more at

The Council is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.

Please note that this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS Check.

Safeguarding Statement: The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of this commitment anyone working in a post with children or vulnerable groups will be expected to undertake an Enhanced DBS check with/without barred list checks.

Please note, BANES Council operates a policy of prior consideration for roles for any individual on the Council’s at-risk register (redeployee). This means should a redeployee express an interest in this role, providing they meet the essential criteria for the role they will be considered ahead of external applicants.

Family Support Practitioner - HMP Highdown

Location: Sutton

Salary: £26,000 per annum

Vacancy Type: Permanent

About The Role

Want to make a real difference where it truly matters?

We’re looking for a Family Support Practitioner to join our team at HMP Highdown, working full time (35 hours per week). This is a frontline role where you’ll support people in custody and their families across both the prison and local community, helping to rebuild relationships, strengthen wellbeing, and support long-term recovery and rehabilitation.

This role sits within the Family Support and Specialist Programmes department and focuses on delivering impactful 1:1 and group interventions. You’ll help clients understand the role of relationships in addiction, offending, mental health, and wider life challenges, while also working directly with family members and affected others to improve their health, resilience, and ability to support positive change.

What you’ll be doing

• Delivering 1:1 support (face-to-face, online, and telephone) for clients and families
• Facilitating group programmes such as relationships work, parenting interventions, and structured recovery programmes
• Supporting and coordinating family meetings and family visits
• Completing needs and risk assessments, and co-producing tailored support plans
• Working directly with children and young people where appropriate to support whole-family recovery
• Signposting to specialist services and building strong referral pathways

You’ll collaborate closely with prison-based teams, substance misuse services, Forward colleagues, and external partners to ensure joined-up, holistic support. You’ll also play a key role in developing relationships with community organisations and raising awareness of the service.

What the role involves beyond delivery

• Maintaining accurate case records and outcome data
• Supporting service improvement, audits, and feedback activity
• Contributing to programme development and co-production work
• Upholding safeguarding, health & safety, and compliance standards at all times
• Managing your own caseload and working independently while meeting deadlines

What we’re looking for

Someone who’s confident working with complexity, skilled at building trust, and passionate about helping people make lasting change. You’ll need to be organised, reflective, and committed to safeguarding and professional boundaries.

Experience in family support, criminal justice, substance misuse, or social care is highly desirable, but your ability to engage people, support relationships, and stay resilient in a challenging environment is what really matters.

All prison-based roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks and HMPPS security vetting. These checks can take up to 5 months to complete. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of both checks.

Please note if you have lived overseas within the last 5 years then checks may take longer.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Flexible working
• Training and development opportunities
• BHSF Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.

Family Support Practitioner (School-based)

Location:  Birmingham

Salary:   £22,274 - £24,796 per annum (This role is term-time only, the salary is in line with working weeks)

Vacancy Type : This is a fixed term position until 12 April 2027

5 days per week term time only - 35 hours per week plus inset days

Closing date: Monday 3 August 2026

Our mission at School-Home Support is simple. We get children and young people back in school ready to learn, whatever it takes. Is this a mission for you? Yes? Then read on. We are looking for a Family Support Practitioner to join our team and to make a difference in children’s lives every single day. As the Family Support Practitioner, you will be based at the setting and work in close partnership with school staff to deliver a programme of casework to promote and improve educational outcomes for the children and their families we support. You will also focus your support to help improve attendance, punctuality and engagement in learning.

Purpose of role

To work with families, parents, carers, young people and the school to improve school attendance and enable children and young people to have full access to educational opportunities and overcome the barriers to learning. This may include working with the wider family and community.

Based at Ark Boulton Secondary school, the family support practitioner will work from a child centred approach and primarily be concerned with developing and maintaining good working relationships with parents/carers, children and young people, teachers, head teachers and various educational support staff and other agencies. The workload is varied and is negotiated with the schools prior to the appointment of the SHS Practitioner.

Level of contact with children and young people

 The responsibilities of the post require the post-holder to have substantial, unsupervised and daily contact with children, young people and their families and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. SHS will organise and pay for this certificate.

Colleagues of School-Home Support (UK) to share tasks, information and good practice, colleagues throughout the organisation who may be in a position to assist with, or require help from the SHS Practitioner in the fulfilment of the role. This includes colleagues in both schools and the Central Office. This is not a definitive list.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Work with families

1. To provide targeted work with children and young people who are currently or are at risk of becoming persistently absent, supporting them to improve their school attendance and engagement in learning.
2. Work with parents/carers in a school context, supporting them and building their engagement with their child’s learning.
3. To design and/or facilitate a flexible range of programmes of intervention to support parents/carers of children identified as vulnerable.
4. To undertake outreach work which may include home visits, to offer a flexible support service in accordance with the SHS lone worker policy, in order to improve parental engagement with the school and with the child’s learning.
5. To act as advocate, mediator and negotiator in confrontational situations, maintaining communication with young people, parents/carers, schools and other agencies. This will include initiating and participating in meetings to discuss and develop ways of resolving problems.
6. To provide targeted support on a one to one basis or for small groups with parents/carers, children and young people through either self-referral or school staff referral.
7. To advise and inform parents/carers about relevant local services and where appropriate to make referrals to other agencies.
8. To support parents/carers to engage with local agencies and support services identified to remove barriers in school engagement and improve school attendance

As an employer, we offer:

• Employee Assistance Programme, providing confidential support for you and your family
• Life assurance for added financial security
• Pension scheme
• A structured induction programme with training throughout your first 6 months to help you feel confident and supported in your role
• Regular supervision and reflective practice to support your wellbeing and professional development
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families
• A supportive and collaborative team environment where your experience and ideas are valued
• Opportunities to build strong relationships with schools and communities through varied and rewarding work

School-Home Support takes very seriously the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We are committed to ensuring our safeguarding procedures reflect statutory responsibilities, government guidance and comply with best practice. Our policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances and we therefore take all necessary steps to protect them

Interview dates: 1st Stage Interview: 5-12 August 2026 (online interview) 2nd Stage interviews: September 2026

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for School-Home Support, please click apply to be redirected to our website to complete your application.

Our client Milton Keynes council is looking for a Qualified social worker to join their Family Support team.

To work with children, young people, and their families to promote their welfare, safeguard children from harm, and support families to achieve positive outcomes. The role involves assessment, planning, intervention, and review in accordance with relevant legislation, policies, and professional standards.

• Undertake assessments of children and families under relevant child welfare legislation.
• Develop, implement, and review child-focused care and support plans.
• Manage a caseload of children and families requiring statutory intervention and support.
• Identify and assess risks to children and take appropriate safeguarding action.
• Build effective working relationships with children, families, carers, and partner agencies.
• Undertake direct work with children and families to improve outcomes.
• Attend and contribute to child protection conferences, core group meetings, strategy discussions, and court proceedings where required.
• Prepare high-quality assessments, reports, and court statements within required timescales.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and comprehensive case records.
• Work collaboratively with professionals including schools, health services, police, housing, and voluntary organisations.
• Promote the voice of the child in all assessments and interventions.
• Ensure practice complies with legislation, local authority procedures, and professional standards.

Benefits of working with Remedy

• A personal one-one service from your highly experienced dedicated consultant.
• Top tier supplier across London giving us first access to jobs
• Referral bonus - up to 250* per person placed.
• Double payrolls each week.

*Terms & Conditions apply

You will be required to fully register with Remedy for all locum positions.

Remedy Social Care is a APSCo Standard agency and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the vulnerable. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the DBS. Our objective is to be an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from everyone with suitable skills and ability regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief. All applications will be accepted and reviewed solely on merit.

.What will you be doing?

Day-to-day responsibilities of a Social Worker in Family Support and Safeguarding include:

• Act as the lead professional and ensure all matters in respect of safeguarding are dealt with promptly, effectively and in line with child protection procedures, escalating where necessary.
• Undertake assessments to identify and respond to needs, building on strength and ensuring that analysis is robust and leads to clear outcomes that can be met through SMART targets.
• Engage with children, young people, and their families to develop effective and empowering relationships which facilitate change and improve outcomes.
• Produce reports and plans for a variety of forums, including court, which are child focussed and reflect their experience.

About the Role

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Social Worker to join the Children in Care, Children's Safeguarding and Family Support Services team. This is an excellent opportunity for a dedicated practitioner who is passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people, and families.

Working within a supportive and collaborative environment, you will manage a varied caseload and play a key role in safeguarding vulnerable children while supporting families to achieve sustainable positive change.

Location: Hybrid Working (Office & Home Based)

Hours: 37 hours per week

Pay Rate: 28.55 per hour (Umbrella)

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of children and families, completing assessments and developing effective care and support plans.

• Lead on complex cases involving safeguarding, risk management, and child protection concerns.

• Prepare high-quality reports and provide evidence in court proceedings when required.

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with children, young people, families, carers, and partner agencies.

• Work collaboratively with statutory, voluntary, and independent sector organisations to implement care plans and family interventions.

• Complete timely, evidence-based assessments, regularly reviewing progress and adapting plans where positive outcomes are not being achieved.

• Undertake preventative and early intervention work aimed at reducing the need for children entering care.

• Promote the welfare, safety, and wellbeing of children and young people at all times.

Requirements

• Qualified Social Worker with a recognised Social Work qualification.

• Registered with Social Work England.

• Experience working within Children's Services, particularly CIC, Safeguarding, or Family Support Teams.

• Strong assessment, report writing, and court work experience.

• Sound knowledge of current children's legislation, safeguarding procedures, and best practice.

• Ability to work independently and manage a demanding caseload effectively.

• Enhanced DBS with Children's Barred List clearance.

If you are a qualified and experienced Social Worker looking for your next opportunity within Children's Services, we'd love to hear from you.

Our client Wrexham County Borough Council is looking for a Children's Team Manager to join their Family support team.

The FST is a social work team that supports children and families who are open to Children's Social Care. The FST has responsibility for:

• Care and Support Plans
• Providing robust support to families and children ensuring best outcomes are met
• Management of Child Protection Plans
• Public Law Outline
• Taking cases to the first court hearing

We're looking for someone with tip-top management skills to be responsible for a staff team of 15 Social Workers, 3 Social Care Assessors and 3 Assistant Team Managers. Is this something you could do?

Through the work we've done so far, combined with the ambitions we have for the future, it's a really exciting time to join.
Our Family Support Team are all amazing - they inspire great ideas, drive new plans forward and help to make Children's Social Care a fantastic place to work. Are you ready to come on this journey with them?

Benefits of working with Remedy

• A personal one-one service from your highly experienced dedicated consultant.
• Top tier supplier across London giving us first access to jobs
• Referral bonus - up to 250* per person placed.
• Double payrolls each week.

*Terms & Conditions apply

You will be required to fully register with Remedy for all locum positions.

Remedy Social Care is a APSCo Standard agency and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the vulnerable. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the DBS. Our objective is to be an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from everyone with suitable skills and ability regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief. All applications will be accepted and reviewed solely on merit.