Family Time Worker

About Us

The Family Time Service arrange and deliver supervised contact where Children's Social Care Services are required to supervise a child's contact with a parent or family members with whom they are not resident.

About the Job

Salary: £27,815 to £29,159 (includes Crawley Weighting Allowance)

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full time 37 hours per week (occasionally working outside normal hours and weekends, working patterns to be discussed in interview)

Location: Crawley with countywide travel and occasionally outside of county.

We are looking for a Family Time Worker who will ensure that family time is a warm and supportive experience and is at the forefront of their work. You will have a good understanding of the needs of children and those looked after, and their families who access the service. You will be driven and dedicated to supporting positive outcomes for vulnerable children and their families.

You will also have excellent written skills to produce clear, concise reports on your observations of Family Time, which contributes to the social workers assessments and care plans.

As a team we strive to meet the expectations of the Social Workers and the Courts and provide evidence to help determine the outcome of permanency for children. Working with vulnerable children and their families can be challenging and complex. You will be emotionally resilient and enjoy a dynamic working environment where each day is different. We are looking for individuals who are adaptable, while having access to and being a part of our wonderful supportive team.

This role requires flexible working, independent travel to various locations not accessibly by public transport and support occasional transport needs for children to and from family time sessions.

Experience and Skills

Just some of the experience, qualifications and key skills required for the role:

• Strong IT skills with the ability to make good observations and record these accurately during Family Time sessions.
• Strong customer focus with experience in negotiating and deescalating situations with vulnerable families.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to attend and contribute to planning and review meetings.
• Ability to work flexibly in a fast-paced working environment.
• Ability to organise and present information clearly, concisely, and accurately.
• NVQ level 3 in childcare, play work, family support or related area and/or relevant experience working with parents, carers and children.
• Experience of working with children and families within family support, early years, family centre or child health sector.
• Experience of working with vulnerable children and families with sound knowledge of safeguarding procedures.
• Experience in providing a professional service to meet family's needs, responding sensitively and flexibly, and maintaining confidentiality.
• A valid full driving license, access to a car with business insurance.

For full list please read the job description attached.

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.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

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.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06038

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact or for issues or queries regarding your application please contact

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and complete our application form. In your application form outline your motivations for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to a DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check. Being able to drive a car is essential due to it being a countywide service and children we care for potentially being placed out of county.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran's Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.

Job Reference: CAFHE06038