Job title: Family worker Salary: 14,950
Employer: Chiltern & South Bucks PCT (NHS) - Community Health Visiting Team Location: Chesham, Buckinghamshire
Duties
The Family Worker project is a pilot home support service, set up to provide short-term, preventative practical support to vulnerable families in Chesham.
My role is to support families by helping them access community services. I work in collaboration with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), speech and language therapists, social services, schools and nurseries, educational welfare officers and local support groups.
When a health visitor or school nurse refers a family to me, we do a joint visit to explain the service and to plan a programme of care with them. I then visit daily, weekly or fortnightly for a period of six weeks (or six sessions) at the family's own home, at the surgery or by accompanying them to local support groups or hospital visits.
I provide practical support in the form of play therapy, behaviour management, and baby massage, and I also help new parents to establish effective daily routines. I advise them on anything from sleeping patterns to child safety. If the child attends nursery or school, I undertake visits to observe them at play, so that I can assess their social, physical, intellectual, emotional and linguistic development. I find this an an incredibly useful tool, as it helps me to plan my work with the family involved.
There is no upper age limit for the children we help, but 16 years seems an appropriate cut-off point.
Over the course of this 12-month pilot project, we hope to forge effective links with both statutory and voluntary organisations so that together we can tackle the inequalities agenda in Chesham. Vulnerable families will be supported to help them access health and social services, as well as reduce the level of non-attendance at appointments and late or non-attendance at nursery and school.
The project was developed by health visitors Roseleen Fox and Ruth Spurling, who identified the unmet needs within the local community, in particular the lack of practical support to some vulnerable families. These are often families with the greatest health needs and least access to services - hard-to- reach groups who need services delivered through home visiting and community-based work. Many of these families do not meet the criteria for assistance from statutory and voluntary support services as they are not experiencing a crisis, but they need preventative support and guidance on how to access services effectively.
There is also ongoing support from CAMHS, Catherine Hartz (lead public health specialist) and Buckinghamshire County Council.
Likes/dislikes
I like all aspects of my job. Every day is different, the workload is varied and families appreciate the help and support I give. No matter how small the changes are, the rewards are enormous. The only downside is that I am currently the only family worker in the NHS in this country, so I am unable to talk to others about their experiences.
Best achievement
In May 2002, I did a presentation to the health visitors in the Chiltern area of South Buckinghamshire, detailing my duties as a community nursery nurse in Northolt Sure Start. After the presentation, I suggested that I could work for them in the community alongside health visitors. In August 2003, I was advised that the post of Family Worker was to be advertised. I completed the application and interview and was offered the post in October 2003.
Training
* HPESB Certificate (Hospital Play Specialist) 1995
* BTEC National Certificate in Nursery Nursing 1994
* IAIM Certificate (Infant Massage) 2002
* Child Protection 2001 and 2003 Career path
* Community nursery nurse: 2001-2002
* Hospital play specialist: 1995-1997
* Play assistant: 1991-1994 Career progression
In five years' time, I hope to be working alongside other family workers - in Chesham or in outreach rural areas. I also hope that my salary will rise, in recognition of the work that I do.
Advice
If anyone wants a job like mine, you need to be persistent in knowing what you want and how you are going to go about getting it. If people knock you back, try again and again, keeping them interested in what you have to offer. You need to have a flexible approach to the working hours - family work is not a nine-to-five job.
Both play therapy and community experience are important tools for the job.
Knowledge of child development and family dynamics are also useful, as is awareness of general childhood issues, including how to empower parents and carers.
i
For general information about training to become a hospital play specialist and the HPESB Certificate, send an SAE (A4 size) to Jackie Ellis, The National Association of Hospital Play Staff, Fladgate, Forty Green, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 1XS or log on to www.nahps.org.uk.
If you would like any further information about Rachel's job, please contact her on rachelfriedli@hotmail.com.
