Salary 21,057 - 23,166 per annum

2 x Permanent, Full time, 37 hours per week

Full time post based in Horsham covering the north of the County and other part time post based in Crawley.

Interview date: 22nd November 2016

Please note this post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

There’s a real momentum at West Sussex County Council. We’re focused on creating more positive outcomes for children and their families and we have the optimism and enthusiasm to achieve it. We’ve already redesigned our service, transforming both our systems and the way we work and are looking for people who want to make a real difference for children and families.

As part of WSCC Children’s Social Care - the Child and Family Intervention Service works with children and their families primarily 10 years of age and under, with priority being given to work with children pre-birth to 5 years old. CFIS interventions and their related outcomes will make a clear contribution to the activities identified to achieve stated safety goals for the children and his/her family – as reflected in the relevant child in need, child and family, child protection or court based plan for the child and directed by the case holding social worker

CFIS interventions are aimed to achieve the following outcomes with families:

• Assist parents/carers to better understand and take actions which will meet their children’s needs, relevant to their children’s’ age and understanding
• Assist parents/carers to make changes to improve and increase their capacity and abilities to positively parent and care for their children
• Assist in the identification and address of physical and emotional safety and risk concerns for children relevant to their lived experience of home and care arrangements
• Assist colleagues in case holding Social Work teams in the decision making processes.
• Assist parents/carers to identify and recognise the lifestyle choices and decisions they make which might impact on their ability to positively parent and care for their children
• Assist parents/carers to increase their confidence and knowledge of parenting – via the practical concepts and techniques that will contribute to changes
• Assist parents/carers and their children to share an improved relationship and change ways of communication which further impact on and improve the adult/child relationship 

CFIS interventions are provided via individual work with adults and children both separately and together, and in appropriate circumstances group work programmes for both adults and children. Support and supervision relevant to the work is provided by an identified practice manager who is additionally the worker’s line manager

CFIS interventions will be underpinned by an approach to working with children and their families which is child focused, based on attachment theory, consideration of parental and child relationship trauma, neuro-science and brain development, child development and safeguarding and child protection.

You will have a minimum of GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent) and QCF Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce (or equivalent) or demonstrable equivalent comparable experience. Also, as you will be travelling across a wide geographical area, you will need a full driving licence and access to a vehicle. Significant experience of working within a family support or child care context particularly where the above noted practice approaches have been used and applied is a strong advantage.

For an informal discussion regarding this post please call either Kate Simmons (Practice Manager) – reference the Bognor based post or Beverley Berry (Practice Manager) - reference the Horsham based post