Family Pathway Worker

Job Introduction

HMP Forest Bank are recruiting for a Family Pathway Worker.

You will deliver a range of interventions, including play interventions to prisoners and/or their families.

Sodexo Justice aims to change lives for the better by reducing reoffending and improving the quality of life for those under our supervision and in our care. We deliver safe, effective and innovative custodial and community rehabilitation services that challenge offending behaviour, protect the public and offer individuals the opportunity to change their lives for the better. We deliver the total operation of five prisons within the UK and own six Community Rehabilitation Companies in partnership with crime reduction charity Nacro.

HMP Forest Bank serves the courts of Greater Manchester and maintains strong links to the local community with a focus on resettlement. We aim to deliver quality of life services and support people to change their lives for the better.

Opportunities for learning and developing work-ready skills are on offer for all who come in to custody, but our commitment to reducing reoffending in local communities does not end at the prison gate. We support people released from custody through innovative partnerships in substance misuse services in Bury and Oldham, working with people to maintain recovery and lead law-abiding lives.

As well as the 16 residential units on site, there is a healthcare centre, gym, library, workshop complex, visits hall, chaplaincy and kitchen. The prison’s capacity stands at 1,460, holding adult men both on remand or sentenced and young prisoners between the ages of 18-21 years.

For more information on working in Justice within Sodexo please see Careers in Justice

Role Responsibility

• Take a whole family, asset based, approach to deliver effective family engagement through skilled, needs led case management of prisoners and their families.
• Use a care plan, solution focused, approach which allows prisoners and their families to identify their goals, work towards and achieve positive outcomes in a challenging environment.
• Contribute to the evidence base of the Children and Families Pathway through correct completion of case notes, outcomes and data as requested.
• Deliver a range of interventions, including play interventions, to prisoners and/or their families
• Facilitate groups of prisoners and/or their families in a positive environment; facilitate appropriate discussions, respond to challenge and present alternative choices and options.
• Communicate appropriately with relevant community and prison based agencies to share information and ensure prisoners and their families have access to support in prison and the community: act as a single and consistent point of contact for community and prison colleagues as identified by the Line Manager
• Deliver Hidden Sentence training and other staff awareness sessions to promote the Children and Families Pathway and support HMP Forest Bank's workforce development.
• Contribute to the continued development of the Children and Families Pathway through sharing valid ideas generated through experience and research. Have a flexible approach to any such developments and adapt to ways of working which may stem from regional and/or national guidance as determined by your line manager.
• Implement and develop the use of Outcome Star to measure outcomes and be accountable for those outcomes.
• Work within a small team of Family Workers; to support colleagues through sharing good practice, providing cover and engage with supervisions and the PDR process.
• Maintain professional boundaries, adhere to Safeguarding procedures and SJS policies and procedures.

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience of managing a caseload of clients 
• Experience of partnership working and/or working in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Excellent knowledge of the impact imprisonment can have on families
• Good level of numeracy and literacy
• Good interpersonal skills and have an empathic approach
• Good planning and organisational skills
• Passionate about family work in prisons

Desirable

• Experience of facilitating group work
• Experience of delivering training
• Experience of working with offenders or within the Criminal Justice setting
• Experience of working with families

Package Description

£21,500 per annum plus benefits including free parking, free meals on duty, pension and shopping discounts.

37.5 hours per week 

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 35,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process.

Sodexo and our clients are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults within a regulated activity. Certain roles will require applicants to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and/ or Disclosure Scotland.