Family Engagement Worker - HMP Onley
Salary: £17,150 (Actual earnings; £25,725 per annum FTE)
Hours: 25 hours per week: Monday-Sunday (weekend working required - Rota TBC)
Location: HMP Onley, Rugby, Warwickshire
Role Purpose:
As a Family Engagement Worker, you will provide crucial family-focused casework, including assessments, advocacy, structured interventions, case reviews, and facilitating family visits (both in-person and online). Your goal is to enhance continuity of care and support for family members and carers, improving the health and well-being of prisoners, their families, and significant others during and after their time in custody.
Key Responsibilities:
Family-Focused Assessments: Conduct comprehensive assessments to gather relevant information, assess risks and needs, and plan appropriate support and interventions involving prisoners, family members, and/or significant others.
Implement Interventions: Deliver and review interventions aimed at building and strengthening relationships between prisoners and their families during custody.
Referrals and Support: Make timely referrals to relevant agencies and programmes within the prison and in the community to ensure ongoing support and casework objectives are met.
Facilitate Visits: Coordinate and support in-person and secure video family visits, ensuring all parties are treated with dignity and respect and that children’s needs are addressed.
Advocacy and Support: Provide practical and emotional support to families, advocate on their behalf, and ensure their voices are heard and considered.
Collaboration: Work effectively with other teams, prison staff, and healthcare professionals to ensure that casework and interventions are appropriate and effective.
Record Keeping: Maintain accurate and timely case records in line with relevant policies and procedures.
Team Participation: Support and supervise volunteers, participate in supervision and appraisal processes, and contribute to team and partnership meetings.Must Haves:
Professional Boundaries: Strong understanding of professional boundaries within a statutory or secure environment.
Criminal Justice Knowledge: Knowledge of the criminal justice system obtained through academic study or practical experience.
Trauma Awareness: Understanding of trauma and adverse childhood experiences through academic study or relevant experience.
Safeguarding and Data Security Knowledge
Relevant Experience: At least three of the following:
Conducting structured interviews
Assessing individuals and/or families
Planning and/or coordinating casework interventions
Supporting individuals or families during crises
Signposting to other support services
Communication Skills: Excellent communication and listening skills, with the ability to build rapport and advocate effectively.
Organisational Skills: Strong organisational abilities and capacity to manage a busy workload.
Emotional Resilience: Ability to remain calm under pressure and handle challenging situations.
Teamwork and IT Skills: Effective teamwork, collaboration, and proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Integrity and Professionalism: High standards of personal integrity, accountability, and professionalism.Desirables:
Volunteering Knowledge: Understanding and experience related to volunteering roles.
Experience in Secure Environments: Previous work experience in a secure setting within the criminal justice system.
Volunteer Supervision: Experience in recruiting and supervising volunteers.Qualifications:
A recognised Level 3 qualification in one of the following areas:
Criminal justice
Information, advice and guidance
Counselling
Substance misuse and/or addictions
Mental health
Social care
Youth work
ChildcareThis post is subject to:
A 6 month probationary period
Verification of identity
A proven right to work in the UK
Satisfactory references from previous employers covering a 3 year period
Declaration of any unspent criminal convictions (and where appropriate a satisfactory risk assessment)
Prison vetting and a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check
Please note that being bankrupt or having County Court judgements may affect your ability to successfully complete the vetting process for working in a prison.
For more information, please call Emma at LKA Recruitment, telephone (phone number removed) option 3