Ireland’s leading children’s charity is recruiting:

Family Support Practitioner, Project Worker – Co. Westmeath

Location: Mullingar, Co. Westmeath - Midlands

Contract: Part-Time (22.5 hours), 4 hours of which are Fixed Term Contract to end December 2025, 18.5 Hours Permanent

Salary: €20,805 – 32,158 Depending on Experience

Why work at Barnardos?

At Barnardos we seek to ensure that we have the best people working with us to support our work with children and families. The benefits of working with Barnardos are designed to promote continual professional development and a work-life balance for the most rewarding working experience.

• Barnardos offers a competitive salary – recognising the experience you bring to the role
• Generous annual leave entitlements
• Positive working environment with family friendly ethos and work - life balance policy
• Tax saver travel and bike to work schemes in operation
• Employee Pension scheme with employer contribution
• Training and Development
• Health and Wellbeing initiatives including Employee Assistance programme
• Company sick pay scheme

Name of Project: Barnardos Family Support Service, Mullingar 
Address of Project: Belleville Apartments, Longford Road, Mullingar

The Mullingar Family Support service works closely with Barnardos Family Support Service in Athlone, and both services are managed by one Project Leader.

What do our Family Support Services do?

Barnardos offer a range of trauma-informed, needs-led, and outcomes-focused supports for families, which include for example:

• Individual sessions with children
• Sessions with siblings
• Parent and child sessions,
• Group-based therapeutic support for children,
• Parenting support focusing on strengthening and modelling core-parenting skills,
• Structured parent-child support which aim to enhance and strengthen the parent-child relationship.

Parents may be seen with their children and/ or on their own, depending on the presenting need.

The services operate Monday to Friday.

Job purpose

To develop and implement programmes that respond to the needs of children and families referred to the service working in partnership with families and other organisational, community and voluntary bodies.

Personal attributes

• Commitment to the delivery of quality services to children, young people, families and carers.
• Ability to act on own initiative and consult where appropriate.
• Ability to work under pressure, make decisions in consultation with the line manager when appropriate.
• To be committed to adhering to best practice in the work and be innovative and open to change.
• Flexibility and adaptability are essential for this post.
• Ability to form objective relationships with children, young people, families/carers, colleagues and other agencies.

Experience

• A minimum of 2 years post qualification experience of working with vulnerable children and families.
• Experience of working in partnership with families and carers.
• Experience of planning, implementing and reviewing programmes with children and/or families.

Qualifications

A recognised third level practice qualification [1] (minimum Level 7 on the QQI) in one of the following:

• Social Care
• Education
• Social Work
• Youth Work
• Or related discipline (Nursing, Psychology, Early Years Education).

Full driving licence and access to the use of a suitably insured vehicle essential.

The postholder is initially assigned to work in the Mullingar Family Support project but may be required in the future to work in other locations in the Midlands area in line with organisational needs.

Barnardos is an equal opportunity employer.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

For full job description and to apply please visit Current Job Vacancies – Barnardos

Closing date: 12pm on 07th May 2024
Interview date: To Be Advised

Shortlisting will apply (please note, CVs are not accepted on their own, candidates must complete and submit our application form through Barnardos website).

[1] Course content should include relevant student placements