Family & Youth Support Practitioner – Prison Services
Location: HMP Hewell
Hours: 16 hours per week
Salary: £13.76 per hour
Contract: Permanent
Responsible to: Family Support Manager
YMCA Worcestershire is looking for a compassionate, resilient and skilled Family & Youth Support Practitioner to join our long-standing Bridge Family Project at HMP Hewell.
For over 18 years, the Bridge Family Project has supported prisoners, their children and families to maintain and rebuild positive relationships during imprisonment. This role will play a key part in strengthening parent-child relationships, reducing the emotional impact of imprisonment on children, and supporting fathers to reintegrate positively into family and community life.
This is a meaningful and rewarding role for someone who is passionate about supporting vulnerable families, improving outcomes for children, and working in a trauma-informed way within a prison setting.
About the Role
As Family & Youth Support Practitioner, you will provide emotional and practical support to prisoners and their families, including fathers aged 18–25, care leavers and care-experienced prisoners.
You will deliver parenting and relationship-focused sessions, support child-friendly family days, and work closely with prison staff and external agencies to ensure families receive coordinated support.
You will also act as a trusted point of contact for prisoners and families, helping them navigate the emotional and practical challenges of separation, family breakdown and preparation for release.
Key Responsibilities
Your duties will include:
- Providing 1:1 and group-based emotional and practical support to prisoners and their families
- Delivering parenting, attachment and relationship-focused programmes within the prison
- Supporting child-friendly Bridge Family Days that help strengthen family bonds
- Helping prisoners prepare for release and reintegration into family life
- Liaising with prison staff, social services, education providers, healthcare teams, youth workers and community organisations
- Recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns
- Advocating for the needs and voices of children affected by imprisonment
- Promoting trauma-informed and psychologically informed practice
- Maintaining accurate case notes, records and monitoring information
- Gathering feedback and contributing to reports, evaluation and service development
- Supporting YMCA Worcestershire’s wider aim of strengthening families and reducing reoffending
About You
We are looking for someone who is empathetic, non-judgemental and emotionally resilient. You will need to be confident working with people in challenging circumstances and able to manage sensitive conversations with professionalism and care.
You will have strong communication skills, good organisational ability, and a clear commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and family-centred practice.
Essential Requirements
Applicants should have:
- Level 3 qualification or equivalent in social work, family studies or a related field
- Experience working with vulnerable families, ideally within a justice, secure, social care or support setting
- Understanding of child development, trauma and the impact of imprisonment on families
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and referral processes
- Experience delivering 1:1 and/or group support sessions
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to manage emotionally charged situations with empathy and professionalism
- Good organisational skills and the ability to maintain accurate records
- Confidence facilitating sessions or workshops
- Ability to work within strict protocols and changing environments
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Willingness to work flexibly, including occasional evenings or weekends
- Full UK driving licence and access to a car
Desirable Experience
It would be helpful, but not essential, if you also have:
- Experience working in or alongside prison services or probation
- Knowledge of sentence planning and reintegration pathways
- Training in parenting programmes or trauma-informed approaches
- Safeguarding Level 3 or equivalent
- Training in mental health, domestic abuse or attachment theory
- Experience supporting family visit activities in secure settings
- Skills in conflict resolution or de-escalation
- Experience contributing to reports, monitoring and evaluation
Why Join YMCA Worcestershire?
YMCA Worcestershire is a charity committed to supporting people to live, learn and grow in mind, body and spirit. We provide housing, family support, health and wellbeing services, training, education and community-based support across Worcestershire.
This role offers the opportunity to make a genuine difference to children, families and prisoners affected by imprisonment, while contributing to a project with a strong history of impact.
Benefits
- 5.6 weeks’ annual leave, pro rata
- Additional annual leave entitlement after 5 years’ service
- Optional pension scheme
- Optional health care plan
- Meaningful work supporting families and children
- Opportunity to contribute to an established and impactful project
Safeguarding
YMCA Worcestershire is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. The successful candidate will be required to comply with YMCA Worcestershire’s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy and Procedure.
Appointment will be subject to satisfactory references, an enhanced DBS check, prison security clearance and successful completion of a three-month probationary period.
Apply Now
If you are passionate about supporting families, reducing the impact of imprisonment on children, and helping people rebuild positive relationships, we would love to hear from you.
okay the role is family support facilitator - my bad the manager left the old title in there Thought for 16s
No stress mate — easy fix. Here’s the corrected Indeed-ready version with the role title changed to Family Support Facilitator – Prison Services throughout, based on the JD you uploaded.
Family Support Facilitator – Prison Services
Location: HMP Hewell
Hours: 16 hours per week
Salary: £13.76 per hour, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Responsible to: Family Support Manager
YMCA Worcestershire is looking for a compassionate, resilient and skilled Family Support Facilitator to join our long-standing Bridge Family Project at HMP Hewell.
For over 18 years, the Bridge Family Project has supported prisoners, their children and families to maintain and rebuild positive relationships during imprisonment. This role will play a key part in strengthening parent-child relationships, reducing the emotional impact of imprisonment on children, and supporting fathers to reintegrate positively into family and community life.
This is a meaningful and rewarding role for someone who is passionate about supporting vulnerable families, improving outcomes for children, and working in a trauma-informed way within a prison setting.
About the Role
As Family Support Facilitator, you will provide emotional and practical support to prisoners and their families, including fathers aged 18–25, care leavers and care-experienced prisoners.
You will deliver parenting and relationship-focused sessions, support child-friendly family days, and work closely with prison staff and external agencies to ensure families receive coordinated support.
You will also act as a trusted point of contact for prisoners and families, helping them navigate the emotional and practical challenges of separation, family breakdown and preparation for release.
Key Responsibilities
Your duties will include:
- Providing 1:1 and group-based emotional and practical support to prisoners and their families
- Delivering parenting, attachment and relationship-focused programmes within the prison
- Supporting child-friendly Bridge Family Days that help strengthen family bonds
- Helping prisoners prepare for release and reintegration into family life
- Liaising with prison staff, social services, education providers, healthcare teams, youth workers and community organisations
- Recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns
- Advocating for the needs and voices of children affected by imprisonment
- Promoting trauma-informed and psychologically informed practice
- Maintaining accurate case notes, records and monitoring information
- Gathering feedback and contributing to reports, evaluation and service development
- Supporting YMCA Worcestershire’s wider aim of strengthening families and reducing reoffending
About You
We are looking for someone who is empathetic, non-judgemental and emotionally resilient. You will need to be confident working with people in challenging circumstances and able to manage sensitive conversations with professionalism and care.
You will have strong communication skills, good organisational ability, and a clear commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and family-centred practice.
Essential Requirements
Applicants should have:
- Level 3 qualification or equivalent in social work, family studies or a related field
- Experience working with vulnerable families, ideally within a justice, secure, social care or support setting
- Understanding of child development, trauma and the impact of imprisonment on families
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and referral processes
- Experience delivering 1:1 and/or group support sessions
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to manage emotionally charged situations with empathy and professionalism
- Good organisational skills and the ability to maintain accurate records
- Confidence facilitating sessions or workshops
- Ability to work within strict protocols and changing environments
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Willingness to work flexibly, including occasional evenings or weekends
- Full UK driving licence and access to a car
Desirable Experience
It would be helpful, but not essential, if you also have:
- Experience working in or alongside prison services or probation
- Knowledge of sentence planning and reintegration pathways
- Training in parenting programmes or trauma-informed approaches
- Safeguarding Level 3 or equivalent
- Training in mental health, domestic abuse or attachment theory
- Experience supporting family visit activities in secure settings
- Skills in conflict resolution or de-escalation
- Experience contributing to reports, monitoring and evaluation
Why Join YMCA Worcestershire?
YMCA Worcestershire is a charity committed to supporting people to live, learn and grow in mind, body and spirit. We provide housing, family support, health and wellbeing services, training, education and community-based support across Worcestershire.
This role offers the opportunity to make a genuine difference to children, families and prisoners affected by imprisonment, while contributing to a project with a strong history of impact.
Benefits
- 5.6 weeks’ annual leave, pro rata
- Additional annual leave entitlement after 5 years’ service
- Optional pension scheme
- Optional health care plan
- Meaningful work supporting families and children
- Opportunity to contribute to an established and impactful project
Safeguarding
YMCA Worcestershire is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. The successful candidate will be required to comply with YMCA Worcestershire’s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy and Procedure.
Appointment will be subject to satisfactory references, an enhanced DBS check, prison security clearance and successful completion of a three-month probationary period.
Apply Now
If you are passionate about supporting families, reducing the impact of imprisonment on children, and helping people rebuild positive relationships, we would love to hear from you.
Pay: £13.76 per hour
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
