Family Support Leader
Salary - £26,000 per annum (pro rata)
Daisy Chain is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone in our care and therefore this post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
Please note that if enough applications are received, we will close the job early, please ensure you apply as soon as possible.
About the role
Do you enjoy helping people feel listened to, understood, and supported?
We are looking for a compassionate and approachable Family Support Leader to join our friendly Family Services team at Daisy Chain. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys talking with parents and carers, offering practical advice, and helping families feel more confident in supporting their child.
The role is primarily telephone based, providing low-level support, guidance, and signposting to families whose child may be autistic, ADHD, or have another neurodevelopmental difference, whether diagnosed or not. Many parents contact us because they are looking for someone to listen, help them make sense of what is happening, and point them towards the right support.
Alongside telephone support, you will meet families face to face, help with local parent coffee mornings and community drop-ins, and work closely with colleagues and partner organisations across the Tees Valley.
This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to families at an early stage, helping them access support before difficulties escalate.
What youll be doing
Supporting families
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Be a welcoming first point of contact for families seeking support.
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Speak with parents and carers by telephone to understand their concerns and offer reassurance, practical strategies, and information.
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Complete initial conversations and assessments with new families and help identify the most appropriate support.
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Provide low-level, tailored support and signpost families to local services, schools, health professionals and community resources.
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Build positive, trusting relationships with families and communicate in a warm, respectful, and non-judgemental way.
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Carry out occasional face-to-face appointments where appropriate.
Community support
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Facilitate weekly parent coffee mornings in local Family Hubs or community venues.
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Support the organisation of monthly parent drop-in sessions with partner professionals.
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Encourage families to connect with local support networks and opportunities.
Working with others
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Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of local services and referral pathways across the Tees Valley.
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Liaise with colleagues and external professionals when families need additional support.
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Always work in line with Daisy Chains safeguarding policies and procedures.
Administration
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Keep accurate records of contacts, appointments and support provided using Daisy Chains recording systems.
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Complete routine administrative tasks to support the smooth running of the service.
What were looking for
Wed love to hear from you if you are:
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A good listener who enjoys supporting parents and carers.
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Calm, empathetic and able to communicate clearly.
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Interested in neurodiversity and family support.
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Organised and confident using IT systems.
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Able to work independently as well as part of a supportive team.
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Willing to travel across the Tees Valley when required.
Experience of supporting children, young people or families with neurodevelopmental differences is desirable, but equally important is the ability to build rapport and provide kind, practical support.
Why join Daisy Chain?
At Daisy Chain, we are passionate about helping neurodivergent children, young people and their families feel understood, included, and supported. You will be joining a welcoming charity where your contribution is valued and where you can make a genuine difference through everyday conversations and practical support.
Person Specification
Successful candidates will have a strong work ethic, and share our Company values of Passionate, Inclusive, Empowering, Ambitious, Open and Innovative. If you have worked in a similar setting before all the better, but most importantly we are looking for people who share our ethos of improving the lives of autistic and neurodivergent children, adults and families. The below details what we are looking for in an ideal candidate if it is Essential (E) Desirable (D) and how we will assess that skill, via your application (A) at Interview (I) or as part of a task during the interview process (T)
Experience
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Experience of delivering support services to families, young people and adults with neurodevelopmental differences E, A&I
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Experience of multi-agency working E, A&I
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Experience of working with individuals with autistic individuals and other neurodevelopmental differences E, A&I
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Experience of safeguarding children, young people or adults at risk E, A&T
Qualifications
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Level 3 qualification in a relevant field (e.g. autism, education, health & social care) E, A
Knowledge & Skills
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Knowledge of safeguarding, referral routes and effective procedures, and the ability to apply this knowledge appropriately in time-sensitive situations - I & T
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Ability to communicate effectively about sensitive and complex situations with people from a range of backgrounds and with differing needs E, I
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Knowledge of current legislation relating to work with children and young people E, I&T
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Ability to remain calm, objective and proactive when faced with complex situations, including safeguarding concerns E, I
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Understanding of the challenges experienced by individuals with neurodevelopmental differences and their families E, I
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Up-to-date knowledge of developments in autism and other related neurodevelopmental differences E, I&T
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Understanding of local authorities, public health bodies and how they work with families D, I
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Excellent written and verbal communications skills E, A&I
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Excellent listening skills with the ability to respond with empathy, sensitivity and discretion E, I
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Confident IT skills and ability to use a range of software systems E, A
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Accurate record keeping and attention to detail E, A
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Knowledge of local support services and community resources D, I
Personal attributes and other requirements
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Commitment to the aims, values and ethos of Daisy Chain E, I
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Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries E, A
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Full UK driving licence and access to own transport E,A
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Ability to work independently and as part of a supportive team E, A
Company Benefits
Our staff do amazing jobs and as such we want to reward our staff that is why we offer
- Enhanced holiday leave of 33 days annual leave (pro rata for part time employees) rising to 35 after 5 years service.
- Birthday day off
- A bespoke induction plan specific to you and your role which starts as soon as a job offer is accepted.
- Alongside your induction plan new members of staff have a 9 month induction programme and planned meetings with their line manager to ensure the employee is settling in and offer any support needed to fulfil their role.
- Ongoing training and development.
- Our Employee Assistance Programme offers a full range of confidential services designed to ensure you receive professional support that may affect work and home life.
- Company Pension Scheme.
- Staff discount.
- Free on-site car parking and refreshments.
- Social and charitable events.
- Company sick Pay after successful completion of probationary period.
- Savings Club
- Give as you earn scheme for staff to make donation to a charity of their choice if they wish.
- If your role requires membership of a professional Body we will pay your membership fees.
ETHOS & CULTURE
I am passionate about improving the lives of Autistic children and adults and committed to Daisy Chains values, culture, and ethos. I will represent Daisy Chain in a positive manner and will always behave professionally. I will demonstrate empathy and support towards families and collaborate with staff and volunteers in the Daisy Chain team.
Vision: Our shared vision is for every person we support to live a life they enjoy and is meaningful to them at every stage
Mission: To support and empower autistic and neurodivergent individuals through the provision of holistic person-centred services, whilst promoting training, wellbeing, inclusion and acceptance regionally and nationwide
Values: Passionate; Inclusive; Empowering; Ambitious; Open; Innovative
Daisy Chains Six Core Values
Passionate Caring deeply about what you do and where you work. Having a personal investment and motivation to see Daisy Chain succeed.
Open Welcoming discussion, inquiry, and criticism. Having a mind open to new ideas and thoughts.
Inclusive Including many different types of people whom we treat all fairly and equally.
Empowering To give power to someone to enable them to be stronger and more confident within their role.
Ambitious Having or showing a strong desire and determination to achieve.
Innovative Bringing new ideas and creating improved products and services.
To be considered for the role click on the apply button above and submit your CV and details along with The Daisy Chain Application Form. If you have any gaps within your employment history, please state the reasons for these gaps within your CV. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact us on 01642 531248.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or marital status.
If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, to enable you to perform to the best of your ability, please let us know when submitting your CV.
