Family Support Worker, Cambridge (CB4), £13.50 per hour

• Family assessment centre supporting parents through court directed assessments

• 12 hour shifts, 8am to 8pm, three shifts a week plus 1.5 hours for admin and handover

• No formal qualification needed to start, full training given

• Experience required in Family Assessment, Residential Childcare or a similar setting

• Paid hour's break included every shift

This role sits a bit differently to most support worker jobs advertised right now. Families come to the centre on direction from the courts or local authority, and over roughly sixteen weeks your job is to support parents while they're assessed on their ability to care safely for their children. You'll work alongside a qualified social worker and a small, experienced team, and the focus is less about managing a home and more about helping people show they can keep their family together. For anyone coming from standard residential childcare who's found themselves more interested in the conversations with parents than anything else, this is a natural next step.

You don't need a qualification to apply, previous experience in family assessment or residential childcare is what matters most, and the centre will train you into the specifics of family assessment work as you go. The pay reflects that this is skilled, emotionally demanding work, not an entry level shift job.

What you'll be doing

• Providing direct, day to day support to families, including practical parenting support and supervised time together

• Supporting observation and assessment sessions alongside senior staff and the centre's social worker

• Helping parents build confidence with everyday routines like mealtimes and bedtimes

• Recording clear, honest observations that feed into each family's assessment

• Building trusted relationships with parents who may feel nervous about being observed

• Contributing to handovers and reporting during your dedicated admin time each week

What you'll bring

• Experience in a family assessment, residential children's home or similar childcare setting

• A warm, non judgemental approach with parents going through a difficult time

• Good communication skills with families and the wider professional team

• Willingness to work towards a Level 3 qualification, fully supported by the centre

• A basic understanding of safeguarding, or willingness to build on it

• Availability for full 12 hour shifts, including some weekends

If you're ready for support work that gives you more scope to make a real difference to a family's outcome, get in touch and we'll talk you through exactly what the role involves day to day.