Children and Families Worker

Purpose

We are looking for an experienced Children and Families Worker to support survivors of trafficking and other forms of violence who are parents, and their children. For parents, you will play a crucial part in helping them develop their capacity and parenting skills, both practically and emotionally; enabling them and their children to live safe and happy lives. You will build strong, trusting and compassionate relationships, empowering survivors to find their voice and learn and develop skills to support their families.

For children, you will design and deliver sessions, activities and educational outings to provide enriching experiences that encourage learning, wellbeing, creativity and social development. The Children and Families Worker will work collaboratively with internal teams, partner charities, social enterprises, and local agencies to create a supportive environment for children and families on their journey of recovery and towards independence.

Main responsibilities

Casework provision

• Deliver compassionate, high quality, tailored support to mothers and children at Ella’s.

• Empower survivors to find their voice and advocate for themselves and their children, fostering self-advocacy and empowerment

• Promptly address any safeguarding concerns, adhering to Ella’s’ safeguarding procedures to ensure the safety of the women and children

• Build strong, trusting relationships with service users and their children

• Display sensitivity and responsiveness to the rapidly changing emotional and physical needs of service users and their children, tailoring support strategies accordingly.

• Manage all casework-related paperwork, ensuring compliance with Ella's policies and procedures on data protection and confidentiality.

• Maintain accurate and timely casenote records within Ella's case management system, recording each service user contact within 24 hours.

• Assist service users with administrative tasks for their children such as making nursery/school applications, liaising with healthcare professionals, and children’s support services

• Act as an advocate during external appointments, if needed, ensuring that the service user's needs and preferences are effectively communicated and respected.

• Attend external meetings and appointments with healthcare professionals, educational service providers, and children social service providers

• Draft covering letters and support letters to complement service users' application forms, advocating for specific needs, or keeping other organisations informed as required.

• Maintain effective communication with other agencies involved in the care and support of children to ensure all their needs are adequately addressed.

Community and child centred focus

• Plan, organise and run regular sessions tailored to different age groups of children, providing them with enriching experiences that encourage learning, wellbeing, creativity and social development. 

• Facilitate and/or provide childcare supervision for service users, whilst they engage in sessions with their caseworker and during community sessions, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment.

• Design and coordinate engaging activities and educational trips during school holidays, creating memorable experiences for children and parents, and promoting  personal growth.

• Take the lead in designing, organising and running parenting classes for service users. Provide valuable guidance and support to help mothers develop effective parenting skills and foster healthy relationships with their children.

• Liaise with caseworkers and Ella’s’ Service Manager to ensure that our services continue to meet the developmental, emotional, and educational needs of the children of survivors.

• Provide information and data to support Monitoring and Evaluation related to this role.

• Support families with homework management and after school clubs as needed.

• Support mothers with locating and accessing appropriate services or community sessions in their local area to meet additional needs and promote pathways to independence.

• Optimise the childrens’ space within Ella’s’ community building, ensuring it is safe, friendly and fit for purpose. 

Safeguarding, and health and safety 

• Ensure all major incidents, accidents, safeguarding concerns or potential hazards are managed, reported and recorded following Ella’s’ policies and procedures.

• Ensure all safety and security procedures are followed to keep self and others safe.

• Maintain a safe and secure working environment.

• Participate in the identification and assessment of risks and implement agreed working procedures to minimise their impact; writing risk assessments as required.

• Promote awareness of health and safety amongst service users, including those who use emergency/on call systems, fire prevention and control systems as necessary.

• Ensure the location confidentiality of Ella’s’ premises to protect survivors and safeguard staff and volunteers.

Other/general duties

• Work with management to design, implement and strengthen ways to ensure survivors are helping lead the design and delivery of Ella’s’ services and operations.

• Distribute relevant ‘gifts in kind’ to survivors across the service as needed.

• Develop strategic partnerships with local agencies working within the VAWG sector and other local organisations or businesses that could enrich the work of Ella’s.

• Attend any training required for the role, keeping up to date with any developments and changes within the sector.

• Represent the work at Ella’s with integrity at all times.

• Adhere to all Ella's’ policies and procedures at all times.

• Complete any duties directed by the Service Manager within the scope of the role.

• Attend any team meetings required.

• Contribute to Ella's’ strategic goals and direction of growth.

• Attend monthly supervision with the Service Manager and keep in regular contact.

• Manage all paperwork, processing any personal data in accordance with Ella’s’ policies and procedures

• Supporting content gathering and signing off with the fundraising team.

Person specification

Skills

Essential 

• Ability to facilitate child appropriate sessions, tailored to age and specific needs.

• Ability to work with parents and children, in a trauma informed setting

• Ability to read and understand policies/procedures.

• Good organisational and time-management skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.

• Administrative, recording and reporting skills. 

• Team working. 

• Ability to work within a ‘risk assessed’ environment. 

• Ability to maintain clear boundaries. 

• A practical and flexible approach to work, with the ability to learn new concepts quickly.

• Excellent IT skill suitable for the role, in particular Microsoft Word, Google Drive, Gmail, Casework Management Systems.

Desirable

• A second language (highly desirable languages include; Vietnamese, Albanian, Yoruba).

• Full and clean driving licence.

Experience

Essential

• Designing and leading training sessions

• Running community sessions/outings 

• Working with vulnerable women and children.

• Children’s work experience: in educational settings, refuges, and/or social care settings.

• Budget and petty cash management.

• Target and deadline driven work, and report writing.

Desirable

• Working with migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers.

• Working in small charities.

• Gathering views and ensuring participation towards user led delivery of services.

Knowledge

• Developed understanding of trauma and mental health support needs.

• Safeguarding and professional boundaries.

• Understanding of statutory service providers, systems and support available eg social services

• Principles of good health and safety. 

• Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. 

• Broad understanding of the UK education system.

• Understanding of working with families who have experienced trauma

• A broad understanding of children services and processes.

Desirable

• Familiar with issues around immigration and migrant experience in the UK.

• Familiar with issues around families with high risks/vulnerabilities

Ethos

Essential

• Possess a commitment to follow the policies, procedures and ethos of Ella’s, and to advocate on behalf of the organisation. 

Desirable

• Experience of working with people from different backgrounds.

Benefits 

• You will be part of a small but dynamic organisation changing women’s lives, supporting and empowering them to build safe futures.

• You will have the opportunity to help give direction and vision to the work of Ella’s, and to work alongside a committed team.

• Access to a professional supervisor.

• 28 days holiday, plus bank holidays.

Special conditions

• An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be undertaken.

• Due to the nature of the work, this post is for women only.

• The role is subject to a six-month probationary period.

• An ability and willingness to work flexibly, and at other Ella’s locations if required, is necessary for this role.​

More about Ella’s 

Ella’s is a London-based organisation working with women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation. Our mission is to do everything we can to ensure survivors have all they need to recover and build lives that are safe and free. 

Here is a summary of our main activities:

• We run six safe houses. This supported accommodation is crucial for survivors, until they are ready and able to live independently. 

• We provide regular support for women and families in neighbourhoods across London, and many more further afield when they need us. 

• We speak out on issues affecting the women we work with. We care deeply about survivors of trafficking and exploitation and want to see a world where these crimes are not tolerated. 

Ella’s is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, as we believe having a diverse team adds value and positively impacts our service. We actively encourage applicants from BAME backgrounds, LGBTQ+ applicants and those with disabilities. We are committed to equality and diversity within our organisation.

(Photo: Tom Price/Ella’s)