Home-Start is committed to safer recruitment practice as an important part of safeguarding and
protecting children and vulnerable adults

Job Description – Parent Infant Mental Health Family Support Worker

Home-Start Job Title: Parent-Infant Mental Health Family Support Worker (Rochdale)
Reporting To: Family Support Manager (Rochdale)
Hours: 36 hours per week
Contract: 12 months Fixed Term, with further continuation possible subject to funding
Salary: NJC 5 - 6 (Currently £24,790 - £25,183)

Purpose of the Job

The PIMH Family Support Worker ensures the provision of high-quality support to designated families
for a limited time before a volunteer is matched for longer-term support. The support will be focused
around promoting and protecting early relationships through home visiting and in community group
settings.

The PIMH Family Support Worker facilitates groups which support the well-being of parents and
children aged 0-2 across Rochdale.  Working in partnership with other VCSE groups and with Parent
Infant Mental Health and Early Years services, the group facilitator is responsible for recruiting and
working alongside volunteers with lived experience, setting up and running peer support groups and
for helping groups to form close working relationships with health colleagues.

The Family Support Worker works with HOST Co-ordinators, working in accordance with HOST’s
Strategic Plan, legal obligations and the organisation’s Governing Document and Quality Assurance
Standards to deliver safe and effective family support. The Family Support Worker develops and
maintains relationships with external partners to provide joined-up support for families. The post
holder maintains good safeguarding practice and ensures that families receive the highest quality of
timely support. As you will be supporting families across Rochdale, you will need your own transport
and to be able to travel to these areas.

 Main Responsibilities

•  Provide high-quality support to identified families via home-visiting, group work or supported

signposting in response to their needs.

•  Work closely with Rochdale’s Parent Infant Mental Health service and with Maternity and Public

Health Nursing teams (Health Visiting teams).

•  Setting up and facilitating in-person peer support groups
•  Working closely with Parent Infant Mental Health services, Maternity services and Health Visiting

teams

•  Lead the development of consistent branding of HOST’s perinatal peer support group offer
•  Supporting the development of referral pathways between services and groups
•  Provide 1:1 support including home visits to parents in addition to promoting and supporting

families to access groups

•  Promote all groups using social media as appropriate
•  Signpost and support families to access support from other sources within local communities.
•  Ensure children and parents have access to regular and timely support as appropriate to their

situation, reviewed and assessed by Co-ordinators at timely intervals.

•  Support parents to have positive relationships with their children in which children’s wellbeing,

learning and development is nurtured.

•  Apply effective and timely administration, review, and monitoring of service delivery, self-

managing and applying relevant record keeping systems and data entry.

Home-Start is committed to safer recruitment practice as an important part of safeguarding and
protecting children and vulnerable adults

•  Ensure the delivery and reporting of services is in line with the contractual

requirements entered into by HOST.

•  Promote HOST externally developing relationships, networking and

communicating effectively with referrers, professionals, community leaders and organizations.
•  Undertake any other duties that may be required to discharge the role and support the organisation.

Person Specification – Parent-Infant Mental Health Family Support Worker (Rochdale)

Method of
assessment
E
A

I

Minimum requirements for this post

X
X

X  X

Methods of assessment: A = Application; I = Interview; E = Exercise
Education and training
Educated to NVQ 3 level/equivalent (or above) in a role related subject,  OR
Educated to NVQ 3 level/ equivalent (or above) and has transferable knowledge,
skills and training
Experience
Experience as a volunteer or working with volunteers and making a positive impact  X  X
X  X
Experience of working with or supporting families, building relationships and
making a positive impact
Has applied equal opportunities and anti-discrimination practice in work or
volunteering
Knowledge and Understanding
Interest, knowledge and curiosity in the perinatal period
Understands how to work safely with families and has awareness of relevant
legislation i.e. ‘Working together to safeguard children’
Understanding of perinatal mental health and of the importance of the first 1000
days
Knowledge of early attachment challenges and the ability to work sensitively to
collaboratively develop supportive responses with families
Skills and abilities
Ability to successfully deliver activity to support families as agreed with manager
Ability to use a range of I.T. applications to prepare reports using data from varied
sources and communicate messages and recommendations i.e. Microsoft word,
email.
Ability to develop relationships; working in partnership with relevant agencies and
funders
Other requirements
Eligible to work in the UK
Commitment to flexible working, including occasional evenings and weekends
Car driver with access to a vehicle for work purposes

X
X  X

X  X
X

X  X
X  X

X  X

X  X

X  X

Desirable
Evidence of professional development or relevant professional qualification an
advantage e.g., mental health care, family support, teaching, childcare and/or
related training

X

This person specification is current as of October 2025.