Family Support Worker

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £35,000

Typical Hours

36 to 38 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How To Become a Family Support Worker

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
volunteering
applying directly

College / University

You could do a:

Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care
Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You could complete a children, young people and families practitioner higher apprenticeship.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

Employers will expect you to have:

experience in working with children, young people and their families
a minimum of a level 3 qualification in childcare, social work, social care, counselling, youth work or education

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
excellent verbal communication skills
sensitivity and understanding
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
to be flexible and open to change
the ability to work well with others
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
the ability to understand people’s reactions
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

In this role you could:

work with people who have drug or alcohol addiction
support a parent who is in hospital or prison
support clients who have marital or financial difficulties
support a child or parent with a disability
attend court sessions that deal with care orders for children
work with social workers to assess a family's needs when a child returns home after being in care
support people with language barriers who are struggling to access services
help clients to develop parenting and home management skills

Working Environment

You could work in an office, at a client's home or in a court.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career Path & Progression

With experience and qualifications you could focus on a particular area, like working with people with disabilities.

You could also become a team leader, managing a group of support workers, or apply to be an assistant manager of a family centre or refuge.

Experience in family support may help if you want to move into social work.

Volunteering Opportunities

Experience is essential when applying for training or jobs. You can get this through paid or voluntary work in:

children's homes
nurseries
family refuge centres
probation services
family community centres
mental health services
youth projects

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about careers in support work from Think Care Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks

For many roles you may be expected to have a full, clean driving licence.