Jobs

Make a real difference to children and families

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join Families First as we expand our Family Support Worker workforce across Gloucestershire. This is an important time for the service as we prepare to implement the Department for Education’s Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) reforms, shaping how early help and social care work together to better support families.

These roles will be at the forefront of key changes in the services as we move to implement our new Family Help teams by October 2026. This means that these roles will develop to take on the statutory responsibilities and job title of the Family Help Lead Practitioner working across targeted early help and child in need later this year. This is key to reducing unnecessary changes of lead practitioner and providing continuity of support for families. If successful, you will be supported through a package of workforce development and training to build your expertise and skills. We match families to practitioner experience.

We are recruiting permanent Family Support Workers to work across the following districts:

• Tewkesbury
• Cotswolds
• Gloucester

Please indicate your preferred location(s) in your application.

Reward and Support

For all your hard work, you will receive the following:

• between £33,143 - £36,363 per annum subject to experience
• flexible and agile working opportunities
• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years continuous service
• option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year
• family friendly policies and benefits to help support you and your family
• supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone
• an in-house Occupational Health service
• employee discount scheme
• links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) and the Young Employees Network
• career development and qualification opportunities
• access to our Social Work Academy
• Cycle to Work scheme (eligibility criteria and t&cs apply)
• Green Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme (eligibility criteria and t&cs apply)

Right child, right support, right time, every time

In our recent inspection in June 2025, our Children’s Services have been officially judged as ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding’ elements. Ofsted also said ‘Leaders have set out a clear vision for delivering success for children, by modelling values and creating a culture where the workforce, children and families feel valued and heard; risk is managed confidently with bottom lines clearly set out.’

This marks an important step in our journey to improve outcomes for our children and young people, and we remain focused on our mission: to continue building on this success and ensure that every child and young person in our county has the opportunity to thrive. 

Gloucestershire offers a range of opportunities to develop your career, supported by a phenomenal Social Work Academy offer, a developing systemic practice methodology, an ambitious leadership team and an award-winning workforce.

We are a local authority adopting, and training all colleagues in, systemic social work practice. If you would like to be part of an authority that takes a relational approach to working with families and focuses on what needs to change in the system around a child and family to enable children to thrive, then consider a role with GCC.

About the role

As a Family Support Worker, you will play a vital role in supporting children, young people and their families, helping them build resilience and achieve positive, sustained change.

Key aspects of the role include:

• delivering targeted early help interventions to vulnerable children and families
• undertaking assessments and contributing to multi-agency plans
• coordinating and delivering support using a solution-focused and strengths-based approach
• building trusted, empowering relationships with families and supporting parents through creative and engaging practice
• working collaboratively with a wide range of partner agencies and services

As a result of the FFPP reforms, this role will offer the opportunity to work more seamlessly across thresholds, helping reduce unnecessary changes of lead practitioner and providing continuity of support for families as we adopt the recommendation relating to Family Help structures across the county.

What we offer

• the opportunity to be part of significant national reform and service development
• a supportive, experienced and values-led workforce
• practice underpinned by Systemic Practice and a commitment to learning and development
• meaningful work that helps prevent escalation to higher-level services
• flexible working arrangements where service needs allow

You will be joining an authority that is committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for children and families, recognising the importance of reflective practice, collaboration, and professional curiosity.

About you

We are looking for motivated and compassionate practitioners who:

• have experience working with children, young people and families in a support or intervention-focused roles
• are confident completing assessments and plans alongside multi-agency partnerships
• can build positive, respectful relationships with families facing challenge
• are flexible in your approach and able to work evenings and weekends when required
• hold a full driving licence and have access to a car

How to apply

For an informal chat about this role, please contact cswrecruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk and they will put you in touch with the suitable hiring manager.

We reserve the right to close an advertisement earlier than the stated closing date if we receive a suitable number of applications.

Interviews are due to take place in person on the 29th and 30th June 2026.

If you would like to find out more about our Children's Service please take a look here: Children's Social Care Careers | Gloucestershire County Council

Company: Gloucestershire County Council

Salary: £33,143 - £36,363 per annum

Location: Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Sector: Health and Social Care

Sector: Family Services

Sector: Healthcare Management

Job Role: Support Worker