Family Welfare Officer

This project and role will provide the families with pupils to access the help and support they need to for welfare, housing, food poverty and other issues impacting hardships on the families and in turn hindering pupils from exceling academically and socially.

We want to help pupils and their families to get back on their feet. The Family Welfare Officer (FWO) will work to provide an innovative project that will be delivered virtually and by personal contact methods to provide much needed assistance. The FWO will provide casework and other support services to access housing, social welfare and community support services to enable the wellbeing of families by supporting them to get the critical help they need from both statutory and voluntary agencies to reduce hardships.

The Support Officer (FWO) will support families from across the borough of Lambeth to access the help they need to resolve homelessness, poverty and social issues welfare by.

• Undertaking needs assessments for pupils and whole families


• Receiving and making referrals to both statutory and voluntary agencies


• Agree and deliver a programme of planned support.


• Work alongside a range of professionals to make representation for statutory assistance where entitlement or rights have not been upheld., 1. To further develop and deliver the Pathways Manual Framework programme to pupils and their parents.


2. To develop and facilitate in school and community activities to engage parents on issues relating to effective parenting, confidence building, sharing of information and problem-solving set against key modules within Options 4 Change's Pathway Manual (parental strand).

3. To provide emotional and practical support, advice and advocacy to pupils, parents and carers as required.

4. To liaise and develop close working relationships with schools, family services professionals and agencies (voluntary and statutory) to address exclusions and its attendant implications and impact.

5. Contribute to evaluation reporting, customer satisfaction surveys and project development

6. Where appropriate, to participate and contribute to multi-disciplinary teams and contribute to their effectiveness in the prevention and resolution of the implications of school exclusion.

7. To identify and initiate contact with schools, pupil referral units (PRUs) and other community agencies in the London Borough of Lambeth and nearby areas as necessary, to engage with families and pupils who are in need of Options 4 Change's support.

JOB CONTENT

Though not exhaustive, the main duties are as follows:

1. Maintaining accurate written and computerised data of interventions in a timely manner.

2. To develop and deliver workshops and one-to-one engagement with children and young people as well as their parents (including insights into the 'world of work' and academia)

3. Working directly with the schools in question as well as other agencies, especially those willing to provide volunteering opportunities

4. Fully supporting excluded pupil's re-engagement back into mainstream education and encouraging them to reach their full potential through reflective self-awareness activities that will see them take responsibility for their role in exclusion:

• Refer pupil to outside agencies when necessary. Will involve contacting agency/s, giving them details about pupil and arranging meetings.


• Evaluating and monitoring individual cases in terms of difference made to the pupil and how they have progressed in terms of reintegration.


5. To provide, where appropriate and relevant, advocacy support where this is deemed necessary and supportive;

6. To participate in the on-going development and training of the team, and the service.

7. To support all aspects of teamwork and multi-agency work to ensure that CYP and their parents can benefit from our own and our partners support services as relevant.

8. To undertake occasional evening work for home visits and be available for rare weekend activities as required by Options 4 Change's to meet the aims of the role.

9. Contribute to the overarching Options 4 Change approach to the monitoring and evaluation of activities and projects, especially the writing of reports to the Walcott Foundation on the progress of the project (e.g., report to and attend quarterly project management committees when requested; maintaining databases and undertaking other administrative duties as appropriate and relevant).

10. Undertake any other relevant administrative duties as agreed with the line manager in pursuant of the overall aims and of objectives of Options 4 Change.


• Experience of advocacy and casework representation to include working with statutory and voluntary services professionals in single or multi agency settings.


• Skilled in Word, Outlook and computerised records data


• 2 years' experience in children, family and or young people services


• Ability to demonstrate excellent communication skills both written and verbal.


• Experienced in writing reports to evidence own work or multi-agency engagement.


• Ability to manage or support the management of Volunteers in service, homes or multi- agency settings.


• Knowledge or experience of advocacy work in relation to children and young people CYP matters and a good understanding of the Children's Act 1989 legislations


• Knowledge of gangs, child exploitation, youth offending and children engaging with the criminal justice services.


• Good Knowledge of the 1989 Children's and 2004 Every Child Matters Acts.


• Knowledge of confidentiality and data protection


Desirable

• Recent experience of communicating with children of all ages in schools and working in partnership with parents and or carers


• Experience in planning activities and delivering programmes for pupils and parents.


• Knowledge and understanding of child development theories


• Knowledge of therapeutic methods of working with troubled families and/or families in crisis., A-Level or equivalent (preferred), Advocacy and casework representation: 1 year (required)
  
  Job Types: Part-time, Fixed term contract

Contract length: 12 months

Expected hours: 20 per week

Benefits:

• Company events


• Transport links