Job Description

Post: Lead Family Contact Worker (EFT Service)

Reports to: Family Services Manager

Hours: 25 hours per week

Salary: £34,000 per annum pro rata

Contract: Fixed term 2 years, with possible extension.

Location: The office base is the Kapella office in Birmingham, working from home will be considered. Delivery of direct contact will be mainly in community locations across Birmingham and the Black County, in our main centres or other approved venues, and may also be online depending on the needs of the family and the service. Some travel will be required for proper performance of your duties

Work Hours: There will need to be some flexibility in working hours to include daytime, after school and weekend working on a case-by-case basis.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

• To be the lead for the Enabling Family Time service (EFT) for parents and children referred by CAFCASS.

• To ensure all activity is undertaken and reporting is completed in line with the EFT contract requirements.

• To co-ordinate the work of part time and sessional Family Practitioners, ensuring safe and effective delivery within the budget. Delivery will be both in persona and online.

• To support the Family Services Manager to set up, deliver and develop the EFT service and wider Kapella Family Contact Services, to achieve improved outcomes for the children and families.

• To hold a small caseload and carry out direct work with children and families to promote safe and beneficial contact by following Kapella, CAFCASS and NACCC requirements.

KEY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITES

1. To work closely with the Family Services Manager and liaise with CAFCASS and other EFT colleagues.

2. Be the lead family contact worker, providing a point of contact for enquiries, managing referrals and allocations, overseeing case progression and quality assurance.

3. Maintain positive working relationships with FCA teams and other professionals to generate referrals, resolve any issues, promote services and share learning.

4. Assist with the monitoring and reporting of service delivery KPIs and outcomes to the Service Manager, ensuring all contract requirements are met within timescales and budget.

5. Be a safeguarding officer for the service and ensure safeguarding of cases and service users is effectively managed in line with our policy and procedures.

6. Contribute to the ongoing development of EFT service model and the development and promotion of Kapella’s Family Contact Services, working with the Family Services Manager, team members and partners.

7. Lead and co-ordinate a small team of part time and sessional contact workers, ensuring they receive appropriate induction, training and supervision, team meetings and reviews. Assist the Family Services Manager with recruitment.

8. Carrying out direct work with children and parents including introduction sessions, observed contact/handovers, community contact, preparation for contact, needs, wishes and feelings and indirect contact. Arrange venues for contact based on geography and the needs of the family.

9. Carry out assessments and produce accurate written reports. Prepare and maintain case records and details of sessions to formulate how and if contact should progress, monitoring and evaluation and to complete associated administrative tasks.

10. Attend meetings, reviews, supervision, and other related meeting as required.

11. To complete work on time and to the standard expected by Kapella, CAFCASS and NACCC, working to the procedures and guidelines for each specific contract or piece of work.

12. Keep policies and procedures and documentation up to date.

13. To undertake such other work as deemed necessary by the Family Services Manager for the success of the service and the development of our Family Contact Services

14. To comply with the Kapella principles, aims, objectives and standards at all times.

15. To promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice within the Centre and our work.

16. To be aware of and comply with Kapella’s health and safety policy, including risk assessments.

Lead Family Contact Worker (EFT Service)

	Essential/DesirableCriteria
Qualifications
NVQ Level 3 in Child Care or Health and Social Care or equivalent	E
Social Work, Early Years, of Family support qualification or relevant qualification	D
Additional relevant training or experience (e.g. mediation, Cafcass, Contact work, PTC)	D
Experience
Direct work with parents and children and carrying out family/child assessments	E
Experience of co-ordinating delivery of services and reporting	E
Team leader or supervisory experience	E
Writing professional or official documents/reports	E
Experience of safeguarding and risk assessments	E
Knowledge
Strong safeguarding knowledge and risk awareness	E
Knowledge of the Children Act, Private law proceedings and Cafcass,	E
Knowledge and understanding of mental health, child development, attachment, parenting,domestic abuse, separation and divorce and family law	E
Understanding of family dynamics and the impact on children and parents of family separation including parental alienation and implacable hostility	E
Knowledge of NACCC standards	D
Skills/Attributes
Able to manage your work and the work of others to meet deadlines	E
Good admin skills and IT proficient. Able to use case management systems/databases.	E
Able to produce clear concise and accurate written work on time.	E
Able to observe family interaction and report accurately with analysis	E
Ability to communicate and work well with a wide range of people	E
Able to work flexibly to deliver work via the phone, webcam and face to face, in the centre orin the community.	E
Able to develop and sustain professional relationships and partnership working.	E
Able to build positive relationships with children and adults, including with those who arereluctant to engage in services	E
Able to manage conflict and deal sensitively with people under stress	E
Role requirements
Available to work flexibly to meet the needs of the role (evenings and weekends)	E
Ability to work alone and use own initiative as well as work as a team	E
Contribute and respond to the monitoring of own work via supervision	E
Use of your own car, full current driving license with business use insurance to enable work at different sites (Class 1 business use insurance essential for vehicle users)	E
Membership of relevant Professional Bodies i.e. HCPC	D

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and a 3-month probationary period.