Family Worker

About Kibble

Kibble supports children and young people (aged 5-26) who have experienced trauma and adversity through residential care, education and mental health services. For more than 200 years, we’ve put young people first and have built a trusted charity with vital services that strive to transform lives, families and communities.

When starting a new job at Kibble, you’ll become part of a dedicated staff team who make sure children are happy and safe 365 days a year, 24/7. Whether your role is in care, education, or the corporate side, you’ll help give young people a chance at life.

Are you interested in making a real change with families with complex needs?

The Systemic Family service is part of the Specialist Intervention Team who work with children 5-18 years old who are living away from home. We work across the range of facilities, including the safe centre, community services and early years provisions. You will become an integral part of the SIS team, which is responsible for the planning, implementation and evaluation of a range of specialist interventions for young people and their families. The service prides itself on working alongside families who have previously struggled to engage with services.

We are looking to recruit a motivated and passionate family worker to work with families using therapeutic approaches. The post involves providing direct systemic interventions with all of the family, structured work with parents and carers, dyadic work with parents/children, family focused work with children and young people and family support. The role involves working closely with all the systems who work with the young person and their family such as education, the care team, health, support agencies and the local authority. The candidate is required to be flexible, creative, and be able to use playful approaches to engaging children in a therapeutic process. We also work with young people who have complex emotional and behavioural difficulties therefore having an understanding of mental health needs is essential.

Main Duties:

• To implement a range of systemic interventions for individuals, carers, staff, professionals and families using systemic models.
• To work with young people, children, and their families both within a residential setting and where required within the family home.
• To work in collaboration with the therapeutic practitioners and psychology team.
• To provide consultation to professionals and those using the service regarding systemic formulation and care planning.
• To provide systemic advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to an intervention or care plan of those using the service.
• To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and intervention plans of children and families.
• To write reports summarising systemic assessment, formulation or intervention outcomes.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Educated to degree level or above with experience providing intervention to families.

Or

• A counsellor or psychotherapist registered with a regulatory body with a knowledge of systemic practice and experience of working with families.

Desirable

• A Foundation and/or Intermediate Certificate in Systemic Practice.

• Understanding of the impact of trauma and child development approaches.
• DDP qualification.
• Experience of working with families with complex needs.
• Experience of delivering interventions with families and young people, monitoring individual/group interventions for challenged families.

Job Related Skills and Achievements

Essential

• Car driver with ability and readiness to travel to multiple sites
• Skills to undertake clinical roles and tasks within the multi-disciplinary and multi- agency contexts in which service users are cared for.
• A high-level ability to communicate effectively at both a written and oral level to colleagues, professionals and lay people, and a high level of skill and ability to foster effective partnership working.

Desirable

• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Personal Attributes

• Enthusiasm for a broad range of systemic and family therapy approaches that promote family resilience.
• A capacity to establish priorities and organise workload effectively and efficiently.
• Ability to operate successfully within a team-based setting as well as being able to work autonomously.

Safe Crisis Training (SCM)

Successful candidates will require a level of fitness to be able to carry out SCM. Please see note section below (4) for further information.

Notes

1. This job outline reflects the main tasks and responsibilities discharged by the post holder at the present time, however, Kibble reserves the right to alter or amend the content of this job outline to reflect changes to the job or services provided, while maintaining the overall character and level of responsibility for the post.
2. Notwithstanding any information or statement described within this job outline, all duties must be carried out in a way that promotes equality of opportunity, dignity and respect for all individuals and which is consistent with Kibble’s stated policy on equal opportunities.
3. The successful candidate will be subject to PVG Scheme Membership. Having previous convictions will not automatically disbar you from working at Kibble (with the exception of offences against children or other vulnerable groups) and every case is taken on an individual basis.
4. The successful candidate will be required to undertake Safe Crisis Management (SCM) training and will require a level of fitness to be able to carry out SCM. The successful candidate must be able to participate fully in this training and be prepared to put this training into practice. The SCM training will consist of two days theory and two days physical training. The successful candidate must complete this training in full within four weeks of an agreed start date. Should the candidate for any reason fail any aspect of the SCM training (theory, physical or both parts), an additional two weeks will be given to pass.
5. Appointments will be subject to a twelve-month probationary period.

Staff Benefits at Kibble

• Learning continues with opportunities for further training, job variety and funded study
• Healthcare significantly contributes to expenses such as dental treatments, new glasses and contact lenses
• Money off shopping and events from Blue Light Card, Costco and other partners
• Discounts are available for childcare through Puddle Lane children’s nursery
• Immediate access to confidential counselling helps you prioritise self-care
• Wellbeing perks continue with Cycle to Work and generous holidays

Closing Date: Friday 6th November 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 16th November 2026

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