An exciting opportunity is now available within Wokingham Borough Council's Integrated Early Help Service as we look to recruit an Early Help Worker to work within our busy team on a fixed-term basis.

As an Early Help Worker, you will be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children aged 0 to 18 years. You will manage a defined caseload and work with children, young people and their families to reduce risks associated with poor outcomes for children, including pre-birth.  As a lead professional you will complete 'whole family' Early Help Assessments to gain an understanding of the children and family’s needs and develop a time-limited action plan to help the family achieve identified outcomes. This includes ensuring that the voices of children and young people are heard, and modelling positive parenting and co-parenting.

You will work closely with other support services including Children's Social Care, Schools, Early Years, Health and Domestic Abuse services to coordinate wrap around, strength-based support for families. You will take a lead professional role in organising and chairing 'Team Around the Family' meetings to ensure that plans are effective and families are making progress with healthy change and increased resilience.

You will have a good understanding of risk factors associated with poor outcomes for children and young people. You will be able to demonstrate an inclusive, systemic approach to your work to ensure that the service you deliver is welcoming, professional and accessible, including to ethnic minority groups, fathers and male carers, families with complex needs who may be open to Children's Social Care, children and young people who may be experiencing harm outside of the family home or network and families with physical and mental health issues.

You will support children and families through group work, when needed, and work closely with your team to maintain operational services, including health & safety policies and procedures. 

Hybrid Working - This is a hybrid position working from our offices as well as attending meetings/visiting families as and when required.

Candidate Requirements

• Experience of working with children (0 to 18 years) and families.
• Experience of managing a caseload of families with complex needs.
• Excellent communication skills, be creative, resilient and adaptable to change.
• Essential to the work is a personal robustness to be able to cope with the demands of the role and an ethos of partnership and collaboration.
• Daily use of a car and full driving licence is also essential for this post.