Family Support Worker

A pioneering national charity working in the criminal justice system, is looking for a Family Support Worker to join their team at a women's prison in West Yorkshire, helping mothers and children stay connected. You will be supporting individuals in custody, those with convictions in the community, and their families.

This is a permanent role based fully on-site at a prison in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, working 37.5 hours per week with a salary of £26,727.50 per annum.Commutable from Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Barnsley, Batley, Morley, Castleford and surrounding areas.*

What you'll be doing:

• Complete family-focused assessments with women in custody and their families, then plan and deliver support that strengthens those relationships
• Facilitate in-person and secure video visits, making sure children's needs are met and every family is treated with dignity and respect

• Advocate for families, offering advice, guidance and emotional support at times of crisis so their voices are heard within the prison
• Build referral pathways with prison staff, healthcare, social workers and probation, and contribute reports for processes such as parole and release on temporary licence

• Support and supervise volunteers and students on placement

What you need to bring:

• A Level 3 qualification in a relevant field such as criminal justice, IAG, counselling, mental health, social care, youth work or childcare)
• Experience of working directly with families and disadvantaged groups, for example casework, assessments, crisis support or multi-agency working

• An understanding of trauma, safeguarding and keeping professional boundaries in a secure setting
• A calm, resilient and organised approach to a busy caseload

• Desirable: experience in the criminal justice system

Why you'll love this job...

• Work that matters: you'll safeguard the wellbeing of women in custody and their children, making sure every family is treated with dignity and heard
• Real development, with regular supervision, appraisal, training and CPD, plus the chance to gain experience across other services within the prison

• A diverse, inclusive and collaborative charity with more than 120 years of experience and a person-centred, trauma-informed way of working

If you want a frontline role where your empathy and resilience make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today with your CV!