Family Support Worker

This post is part funded with support from the National Lottery Community Fund.

About Missing People

Somebody goes missing in the UK every 90 seconds. Missing People exists to ease the heartache experienced by those missing someone, and to help people who are away from home find their way back to safety. Our vision is for every missing child, adult and family left behind to find help, hope and a safe way to reconnect. We are a non-judgemental, highly skilled team of staff and volunteers working for everyone who needs us. We provide free, confidential support, help and advice by phone, email, text and live chat. We coordinate a UK-wide network of people, businesses and media to join the search for the estimated 170,000 people who go missing each year. Missing People aims to put people with lived experience at the heart of our work, amplifying their voices to achieve change.

The impact you will have

Becoming a Family Support Supervisor means you will be a part of a unique service that supports people with missing loved ones. You will be part of our dedicated Family Support Team providing emotional and practical support at every stage of the missing journey.

You will create a space where people experiencing the trauma of someone going missing can be supported in a calm, insightful and consistent manner. You will proactively support family members during challenging experiences. Your support will be both practical and emotional and can involve advice and advocacy so people can access the right service and support for them. Your approach to support will be based on an assessment of needs and the length of their missing incident / experience.

You will also be involved in Missing People’s family-focused events, peer support forum, online and social events and groups, engagement, and family opportunities for publicity in the media. You will be enthusiastic about hosting regular online social events, and we can provide training for you to develop the skills needed to do this if necessary.

About you

You will have an empathetic and trauma-informed approach to providing support to people over a period of time and be able to build and maintain professional and boundaried relationships with families who use our family support services.

You will need:

• experience of work on a helpline, crisis or advice service either as a volunteer or staff and/or advice or support work with children, vulnerable adults and/or families
• experience of casework, building medium- to long-term professional relationships with family members
• excellent communication skills including a high level of empathy
• the ability to maintain a calm and considered approach, to evaluate situations objectively, consult effectively and give appropriate support
• strong IT skills including databases and data entry and the ability to learn new systems quickly including learning to operate a digital 1-2-1 chat platform
• enthusiasm for hosting social support groups and developing a supportive online space - we can support you to develop skills to do this.

What you will get in return

Our Family Support team works alongside an award-winning helpline team providing quality support, guidance and safeguarding to missing children, vulnerable adults – those who have run away or left home – and the families of missing people. The service also works therapeutically alongside the counselling service. In this role you will be supported by volunteers, digital support structures, and peer support.

You will find plenty of scope for further personal development including: getting involved in volunteer supervision; training; e-learning; and hearing about the latest topics from some of our amazing partners. Working for Missing People means living our values. It’s a place where people are encouraged to ‘let fly’ so you can ‘make things happen’. We know you’re more than just a job title, and ‘be human’ is an important value here.

Missing People is a friendly and supportive place to work – it’s a welcoming, caring organisation which really makes a difference to vulnerable people throughout the UK. We offer a range of enhanced family friendly benefits and are happy to talk about flexible working in many roles.

Ready to apply?

Please find attached a detailed job description and person specification, a letter to applicants from the line manager and a summary of Missing People's Achievements 2024.
To apply, please ensure you include your CV and a brief covering letter explaining how you would be a good fit for this role. We look forward to receiving your application.

Closing date: 23:59 on 23rd March 2025. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we have sufficient interest - so APPLY NOW!
Interviews: 31st March or 1st April 2025
Start: 7th May 2025

Location: South West London (Central Office is based in Mortlake – 12 mins from Clapham Junction and 23 mins from Waterloo)
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week. Shift pattern: 12:30pm to 8:30pm, Monday to Friday
Salary: £31,900 per annum. Permanent.
Benefits: 28 days annual leave per annum/pro rata plus statutory holidays on appointment. Additional annual leave days awarded on length of service*• Company pension contribution• Life insurance (3 x salary) * • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) including 24/7 support helpline• Interest-free Season Ticket Loans*• Additional maternity pay and leave*•Additional paternity pay*• Additional sick pay* *available after probation period passed

You may also have experience in the following: Family Support, Supervisor could be alternatively titled as Family Support Specialist, Family Advocacy Coordinator, Family Resource Coordinator, Senior Family Outreach Specialist, Family Assistance Supervisor, Families Project Supervisor, Family Support Worker, Family Liaison Officer, Family Services Worker

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