Family Support Worker - Looked After Children

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this permanent position is £33,552 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We are pleased to tell you about a great opportunity to join Surrey County Council's South East Children Looked After Team as a Family Support Worker, based in Reigate. This role is open to hybrid working meaning you aren't required in the office 5 days a week, we’d welcome a conversation with the successful candidate on what remote working may look like for you.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

As a member of the team, you will be working alongside partners, agencies and the voluntary sector to support children and their families in care. This is a challenging but genuinely rewarding role where you will receive training to ensure your confidence, competence and professional development. You will also receive a full induction and monthly supervision.

As a Family Support Worker, you will be supporting Social Workers in the team, working intensively and in a planned way, with the young person, their carers, and other agencies and services. Supporting children to achieve their potential will be central to all you do. You will undertake direct work with children, their carers, and support Social Workers in their role. Being able to work in partnership and use your skills to engage with children in a meaningful way will be key in this role.

This is a varied and challenging role but one which is hugely important and has real social impact.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Vocational Qualifications Level 3/4, or equivalent in relevant fields, with experience of working with children and their families
• Some understanding of relevant legislation affecting working with Children, including The Children Act (1989) and the Children and Families Act (2014)
• A commitment to working with children to improve the quality of their lives
• The ability to plan, manage, and prioritise a caseload
• The ability to work effectively and flexibly as part of a team and a willingness to provide guidance and assistance to less experienced or more junior members of staff
• Tenacious in driving change for families and children to realise their full potential

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Vrushali Pendharkar via email.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 14th June 2026 with interviews to follow.

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area.

Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.