New vacancy – High Needs Family Support Worker

Some families need more than information. They need someone to walk alongside them.

At SPACE Hertfordshire, we’re looking for an experienced Higher Needs Family Support Worker to provide intensive, person-centred support to families of neurodivergent children and young people who are facing more complex challenges.

This is an opportunity to build trusted relationships, empower parents and carers, work alongside professionals and make a lasting difference to families at a time when they need it most.

If you’re compassionate, resilient, organised and passionate about helping families navigate difficult situations with confidence, we’d love to hear from you.

About SPACE

We are a Hertfordshire-based charity committed to empowering and supporting neurodivergent children, young people, and their families through a range of specialist programmes and services.

About the role

At SPACE Hertfordshire, we understand that some families need more than information or signposting – they need someone to walk alongside them through the challenges they face. As our Higher Needs Family Support Worker, you will provide intensive, person-centred support to families of neurodivergent children and young people with SEND who are experiencing more complex or acute needs.

Working directly with families in their homes, within the community and across a range of settings, you will build trusted relationships, helping parents and carers navigate education, health and social care systems, overcome barriers and develop their confidence and skills to support them advocating for their children and young people.

You will lead on higher-needs referrals, ensuring families receive timely, flexible and coordinated support. Alongside direct family work, you will support the day-to-day coordination of the Family Support Service, assisting with referral management, triage and caseload allocation. The successful candidate will have exceptional relationship-building, active listening and conflict resolution skills, enabling them to work confidently with families while maintaining positive and productive relationships with professionals and partner agencies.

As an ambassador for SPACE Hertfordshire, you will embody our values of compassion, collaboration, inclusion and professionalism, helping to create positive, lasting change for ch

⏳Hours: 32 hours per week

📍 Location: Hybrid, with home working, regular attendance at our Hertfordshire base and travel across Hertfordshire. Please note that our Hertfordshire base is expected to relocate within the county during the coming year.

💰 Salary: £34,000 FTE (32 hours a week £29,013 actual salary)

📅 Closing date: Wednesday 19^th August 2026 (however we may close this earlier)

Key Responsibilities

Family Support

• Deliver targeted, intensive and person-centred support to families of neurodivergent children and young people with SEND experiencing higher levels of need or complexity.
• Provide one-to-one support through home visits, telephone and face to face appointments, community-based support and virtual meetings where appropriate.
• Build trusting relationships with families and empower parents through practical advice, emotional support.
• Support families to understand and navigate education, health, social care and voluntary sector services.
• Develop realistic and achievable personalised support plans in partnership with families.
• Work proactively to build trusting relationships with families who may face barriers to accessing services, including those from ethnically diverse communities and other underrepresented groups, ensuring support is inclusive, culturally responsive and accessible.

Higher Needs Case Management

• Lead on triaged higher-needs referrals and manage a complex caseload.
• Undertake holistic assessments and prioritise work according to risk and need.
• Monitor progress, review interventions and maintain accurate, confidential records.
• Prepare reports and documentation as required.

Partnership and Multi-Agency Working

• Work collaboratively with education, health, social care and voluntary sector professionals

Family Support Service Coordination

• Support the day-to-day coordination of the Family Support Service.
• Respond to enquiries, assist with triage and caseload allocation.
• Monitor waiting lists and contribute to service development.

Safeguarding

• Recognise, record and report safeguarding concerns in line with SPACE Hertfordshire procedures.
• Work closely with the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Maintain safeguarding records and complete mandatory training.

Professional Practice

• Promote the values and ethos of SPACE Hertfordshire.
• Participate in supervision, training and service development.
• Work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the role.

About you:

Essential

Experience

• Experience working with children, young people and families, particularly those with SEND and/or neurodivergence.
• Experience supporting families with complex or multiple needs.
• Experience of  supporting a wide range of family situations such as: family breakdown, Domestic Violence, financial and housing difficulties etc.
• Experience of outreach or community-based support.
• Experience managing a varied caseload.
• Experience working with multi-agency professionals.
• Experience maintaining confidential records and responding to safeguarding concerns.

Knowledge

• Understanding of SEND, neurodiversity, EHCP processes and education, health and social care systems.
• Knowledge of safeguarding legislation, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice.

Skills and Attributes

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent active listening skills, demonstrating empathy, curiosity and the ability to understand families’ experiences without judgement.
• Strong conflict resolution and professional challenge skills, with the ability to manage difficult conversations, de-escalate situations and positively resolve disagreements while maintaining constructive relationships.
• Compassionate, organised, resilient and solution-focused.
• Strong written, verbal and IT skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Qualifications

• Relevant Level 3 qualification (or above) or equivalent experience.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (Business use must be included on your car insurance).

Desirable

Lived Experience

• Lived experience of neurodivergence and/or experience as a parent or carer of a neurodivergent child or young person, including those with additional or complex needs.

Professional Experience

• Supporting children and young people with SEND in education, health or community settings.
• Delivering targeted family support to families with higher or more complex needs.
• Home visiting and outreach work.
• Supporting families through EHCP processes.
• Facilitating parent groups, workshops or training.
• Working within the voluntary or charity sector.
• Working as part of multi-agency teams.
• Using therapeutic, trauma-informed, restorative or strengths-based approaches.

Training and Development

• Training in safeguarding, child protection or early help.
• Mental Health First Aid or equivalent.
• Training in autism, ADHD or wider neurodiversity.
• Experience delivering parenting programmes or family-based interventions.

Inclusive recruitment at SPACE:
At SPACE Hertfordshire, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and identities, including those with lived experience of neurodiversity, disability and caring responsibilities.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to support your needs.

Safeguarding:
SPACE Hertfordshire is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold our safeguarding policies and procedures at all times.

All appointments are subject to a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, completion of the Right to Work in the UK process and any other relevant pre-employment checks.

How to apply

You can download an application form below. If you require the job description or application form in an alternative format, please let us know. Adjustments to the application process can also be arranged upon request.

Please complete the application form and send it, together with a copy of your CV, to admin@spaceherts.org.uk before the deadline.

If you have any questions please email admin@spaceherts.org.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.