Children and Families Practitioner (Project Worker 1)

 Barnardo's has been successfully running children's services across   Gloucestershire since 2010. Barnardo's was commissioned by Gloucestershire County Council to deliver a Targeted Family Support service for local families of children aged 0-11yrs from April 2017. This service forms an integral part of the Early Help offer in the county and is delivered from our designated Children and Family Centres in Gloucester City and the districts of the Forest of Dean and Stroud. Barnardo's also delivers Family Therapy, Be-Heard advocacy Service and Early Years services in Gloucestershire, often based within our Children and Family Centre buildings.

This new Baby Hub service, commissioned by Gloucestershire County Council, will be delivered for 1 year and help to address the impact of Covid-19 on children born during the pandemic and their families.

For the advertised post(s) there will be a range of part-time and full-time hours, fixed term or internal secondment positions for 1 year to work across the Children and Family centres within Gloucester City and the districts of the Forest of Dean and Stroud. There may be further requirement to occasionally work across the wider Gloucestershire locality.

The main duties of the role require candidates to:

• Improve outcomes for young children in terms of development, recognizing risk and protective factors, access to health and other services for young children.
• Deliver face to face and virtual group and 1 to 1 work to provide a range of social and learning opportunities that support the development of young children. This will be specific to role but also in collaboration with members of the wider Baby Hub team.
• Supporting parents to build their confidence in play and attachment.
• Work alongside Health, to address developmental delay caused by Covid and lockdown, either through signposting or service delivery.
• Work one to one with vulnerable families to reduce health and social inequalities between those in greatest need and their peers.
• Ensure effective marketing and promotion of services.
• Provide information, advice and guidance to parents and carers.
• Support educational and health transitions e.g. weaning onto solids, toilet training and transition into Early Years provision.
• Support Speech and Language development.
• Ensure early identification of additional needs and access to support.
• Collaborate with other professionals such as toddler groups, health professionals etc.

In addition, candidates must be able to demonstrate:

• Knowledge and experience of working with parents/carers with specific vulnerabilities that impact on their child/ren, including (but not limited to); isolation, limited accessed to services, Covid, low income, domestic abuse, substance misuse, anti-social and/or criminal behaviour and transient families.
• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding and welfare issues for children and vulnerable adults.
• Knowledge and experience of child development in very young children, including children with additional needs.
• Experience of delivering community groups e.g. Stay and Plays and practical parent groups.
• A multi-agency approach and liaise with a wide range of professionals; this includes participation at various external meetings.
• Excellent communication skills to ensure families engage effectively with the services provided.
• The ability to use IT and recording systems. This includes support planning, session planning and accurate record keeping.

 There may be a requirement for occasional “out of core hours” work; this would be arranged through management discussion.

The role will involve some travel across the Forest of Dean, Stroud and Gloucester City and on occasion wider Gloucestershire.  Candidates, therefore, must be able to travel throughout the Locality to meet the requirements of the role. 

This role is subject to satisfactory Enhanced DBS disclosure.

If you would like to discuss the role prior to applying, please contact Alison Nicholas, Children's Services Manager on 07803 441345 or by emailing alison.nicholas@barnardos.org.uk

We look forward to hearing from you