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Job Information
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us click here.
Family Worker
This Family Worker role sits within the Children and Young People Disability Service (CYPDS) in Windsor and Maidenhead – a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team bringing together social care, SEND, occupational therapy and family support.
You’ll work with children and young people aged 0–25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities, supporting them and their families to achieve positive outcomes. The service also delivers key programmes including the Local Offer, Short Breaks and a specialist holiday play scheme. Our commitment to high-quality practice and outcomes has been recognised by Ofsted, with our Windsor and Maidenhead services rated Good.
About the role
The Family Worker will demonstrate an excellent knowledge of the SEND landscape and specifically legislation related to disabled children and their families along with highly refined interpersonal skills. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain mutually productive relationships with colleagues, partners, agencies and most importantly young people and their families.
As a Family Worker for children and young people with SEND the post holder will provide high quality responsive services within the statutory responsibilities of Children and Families Act 2014 and the Children Act 1989 and 2004. They will work in close partnership with families to undertake or be involved in holistic assessments of children and young people aged 0-25 years with special educational needs and/ or a disability. They will undertake direct work with children, young people and their families which will include building family resilience, enhancing learning and development and guidance and support at key points of transition.
Achieving for Children continually reviews its structure and business practices in order to provide the best possible services for children, young people and their families, in the most effective and efficient way. As a result, the key tasks in any job profile may be varied.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Suki Hayes via email :suki.hayes-lapham@achievingforchildren.org.uk
About you
- Educated to A Level standard
- Experience of working with children and young people with SEN/Disabilities and their families.
- Experience of building and maintaining successful relationships with a range of influencers, including schools and proven ability to network, build relationships and influence others.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work across several service areas.
- Active commitment to a culture of innovation, including a willingness to challenge traditional ways of working.
- The ability to meet deadlines and adhere to the agreed timelines and prioritise workload as required.
- Knowledge and understanding of legislation, statutory frameworks and policy affecting services for children, young people and families in relation to SEND, in particular a good understanding of the Children Act 1989 and the Children and Families Act 2014.
- A passion for Achieving for Children’s vision, mission and values to support children and young people to live safe, happy, healthy and successful lives.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills that are open, honest, persuasive & pragmatic including excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract)
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here. For our social work offer click here. For our Recruitment Journey, click here.
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
