Salary: £12,121 per annum based on 18.5 hours average per week (FTE £22.932) (Real Living Wage)

Based: HMP Bure Visitors’ Centre

Working Hours and Patterns:

• The work pattern is 18.5 hours average per week (week one working 15 hours, week 2 working 22.5 hours as below)
• Working each Wednesday 8:15am - 3:45pm (7 hours with 30 minutes unpaid break) and Friday 8:30am - 4.30pm (7.5 hours with 30 minutes unpaid break) and 1 Weekend day (Saturday or Sunday) 8:15am - 4.45pm (8 hours with 30 minutes unpaid break) every other week.
• Although a degree of flexibility will be required at times to meet operational demand.

We have an opportunity to join our experienced and dedicated Family Services Team working within the visitors’ centre at HMP Bure providing a personal welcome for first-time and returning visitors to help them access the services available to them.

We are seeking a Family Support Worker to join the team in providing effective and efficient running of the Visitors Centre, welcoming visitors and providing them with information and support as they come to visit someone at the prison. The successful candidate will be expected to assist on Family Days, Children’s Visits and other services to ensure prisoners and their families have a valuable visiting experience, improving the quality of visits for children and families helping to maintain positive, healthy and resilent family relationships.

In particular, we are looking for someone to provide support across the service to assist in the smooth running of all of our additional services e.g. Booking Line, StoryBook Dad, Children’s Visits, Family Days etc.

Ideally you will have experience of dealing with people in a customer service-based role and be able to demonstrate excellent administrative, communication and problem-solving skills sometimes under challenging circumstances whilst embracing a non-judgemental and empathetic work ethic.

Ormiston Families is one of the leading charities working with children, young people, and families in the East of England. We take early and preventative action to support families to be safe, healthy, and resilient.

Responsibilities of a Family Support Worker:

• To obtain prison keys to open and close the Visitors Centre.
• To follow all rules and procedures in the prison and keep up to date with any changes.
• To monitor and maintain the Visitors Centre Reception and book in visitors for all visits to prisoners.
• To maintain the day to day running of the Visitors Centre.
• To provide support and information to the children and families of prisoners as appropriate and signpost to other agencies where needed.
• To support the Team Leader with activities for group and/or individual work, in order to achieve identified outcomes for prisoners’ children and families when visiting the prison. This may include one to one work with prisoners, inductions, parenting courses, story book dads’ and children and family days.
• To operate the HMP Bure Booking Line, booking visits for families, booking Video Calls, answering queries and signposting telephone calls to the correct departments.
• To maintain the Visitor Centre’s inside and outside play areas, including setting up and tidying away.
• To assist where needed in the provision of refreshments for visitors, including in the visits hall, where required

Skills and experience of a Family Support Worker:

• Experience of dealing with people in a face-to-face customer service-based role.

• Experience of dealing with people over the telephone in a customer service-based role.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate effectively to a range of people.

• Excellent attention to detail for recording process, events and systems.

• Diplomatic and able to deal with issues sensitively and with discretion.

Benefits of a Family Support Worker:

• Cycle to work scheme.

• 27 days annual leave (Part-time employees receive a pro-rata allowance according to the number of hours they work per week.).

• Ability to buy or sell up to 5 days annual leave.

• Group life assurance.

• Pension, up to 9% employer contribution when matched by employee.

• Sponsorship opportunities for employees who have completed their probationary period and been in post for at least 12 months to undertake nationally accredited or chartered certification awarded by professional associations.

• Employee assistance programme

• The Hive savings platform

• Your Wellbeing - We have trained Mental Health First Aiders who form our Wellbeing Team, promoting mental and physical health.

• Pets in the workplace - We allow our employees to have certain pets at work, as we believe that pets can foster a friendlier and happier workplace. This is provided that the conditions outlined in our Pets in the Workplace policy are met.

Closing date for applications: 5pm Wednesday 23rd April 2025

In-person interviews: to be held on Tuesday 29th April 2025

Safeguarding and DBS requirements for your role:

Ormiston Families is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.