Early Help Support Worker – AR

Rochdale Borough Council
Location: Number One Riverside / Rochdale Police Station
Service: Children’s Services – Early Help and Schools
Grade: 6
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Temporary – covering sickness
Reporting to: Early Help Manager (EHASH)
DBS: Enhanced DBS required
Other: Casual User Car Allowance

About the Role

Rochdale Borough Council is looking for an experienced Early Help Support Worker to join the Early Help and Safeguarding Hub (EHASH) on a temporary basis.

EHASH is a multi-agency front-door service for children and families across Rochdale. The team works alongside Social Workers, Early Help colleagues, referral and information coordinators and partner agencies to ensure children and families receive a timely and appropriate response to their needs.

The successful candidate will support the assessment, information-gathering and follow-up of Early Help cases, helping to identify needs, reduce risk and ensure appropriate support is put in place.

Key Responsibilities

• Support Early Help Advisers with researching and progressing allocated cases within EHASH.
• Gather information from parents/carers, children and young people, schools and other professionals.
• Follow up referrals and agreed actions within required timescales.
• Where appropriate, initiate Early Help Assessments (EHA) and support the transition into the Team Around the Family (TAF) process.
• Engage with children, families and professionals to understand needs and identify appropriate support.
• Complete or contribute to assessments and risk assessments where required.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and ensure appropriate procedures and referrals are followed.
• Help develop outcome-focused support packages based on an assessment of the family’s needs.
• Liaise with partner agencies and other services to coordinate effective support.
• Follow cases through EHASH to ensure agreed actions are implemented.
• Maintain clear, accurate and auditable case records, assessments, decisions and outcomes.
• Use relevant case management and IT systems, including ICS, ONE and EHM.
• Provide administrative support to Early Help Advisers, including case recording and meeting minutes where required.
• Handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately and in line with relevant legislation and council procedures.

About You

The ideal candidate will have experience working with vulnerable children, young people and families, particularly those with complex needs.

You should have:

• Experience working in an Early Help, family support, children’s services or similar environment.
• Experience completing or contributing to Early Help Assessments and/or risk assessments.
• A good understanding of safeguarding children and young people.
• Experience gathering, analysing and recording sensitive information.
• Experience working within a multi-disciplinary or multi-agency setting.
• Strong communication and engagement skills when working with families and professionals.
• The ability to identify needs and concerns and make appropriate recommendations or referrals.
• Experience developing and following through support plans or packages of intervention.
• Strong case recording and organisational skills.
• The ability to work wi