About Us
West Sussex County Council is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents every day. Through our Early Help Service, we will work with children, families, and young people to help ensure that every person is supported to achieve his or her potential. The foundations for mental health, emotional control, doing well in education and parenting ability are all set in place in the early years; the home surroundings, family life and parenting are all important factors in determining positive outcomes for children as they grow and develop.
For more information, please visit our section of our website.
The Opportunity
Salary: £31,586 - £31,314 per annum
Working Pattern: 37 hours per week (full time)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Adur East Family Hub
Interview Date: 27th March 2025
We are looking for a Family Support Keyworker to join our Adur East Shoreham team, working within our local hub system to deliver high level support to families who have complex needs.
Family Support Keyworkers deliver intensive support to families in need as part of the Early Help offer, and this is achieved by working closely and intensively with whole families using a single-family plan, with agreed outcomes that the family and professionals will work towards. Through this system we address issues facing the whole family, improve outcomes for children and reduce dependence on high cost, specialist support services.
As a Family Support Keyworker you will engage with hard-to-reach families, working flexibly, creatively and in partnership with multi-agency stakeholders in order to meet the needs of the children and their families. This may include outside of office hours on occasions.
You will have good working knowledge of legislation and practice relating to children, alongside an understanding of current issues experienced by families. You will have demonstrable experience of working with children and families and will be able to evidence supporting those with complex needs, as well as experience of effective partnership working.
You must be able to travel throughout the county occasionally, and throughout Mid Sussex including locations that are not always accessible by public transport, so a driving licence and access to a car is essential.
Experience and Skills
Key Skills:
1. Ability to listen to adults and children who have experienced trauma and have complex needs and to use excellent interpersonal skills in order to build an effective relationship with the families.
2. Analytical and judgmental skills in order to interpret complex situations and information from families to make assessments.
3. Excellent crisis management skills with the ability to recognize the individual needs of families.
4. Ability to create an environment where families are empowered to make positive change.
5. The ability to build rapport quickly with people participating in services and remain up to date with changes in best practice and available support mechanisms.
6. Ability to accurately record information in excel spreadsheets and web databases. Ability to use a variety of screening tools.
Qualifications and/or experience:
7. Relevant qualification, degree level preferably, in a relevant subject, or demonstrable experience in a paid or unpaid capacity of providing support to people in stressful and difficult situations.
8. Demonstrable experience of working with families in crisis in order to provide support, especially those with complex and chronic difficulties.
9. Experience of interpreting families’ needs and assisting families to access appropriate support services.
10. Experience of working in a team environment and multi-agency working.
11. Experience of working within a frame of confidentiality.
12. Experience of applying relevant legislation, policies and procedures to individual pieces of work.
13. Valid and full driving licence.
Rewards and Benefits
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive: