Contact Centre Development Worker
Supervised Contact Centre
Salary
NJC SCP 15–18, circa £27,000–£30,000 per annum (depending on experience and qualifications)
Hours
20 hours per week (pattern includes some evenings and weekends to accommodate contact sessions)
Contract
Permanent, subject to funding review
Location
Crewe Centre (base negotiable; service operates across Cheshire)
Responsible to
Supervised Contact Centre Service Manager
Responsible for
Oversight and day-to-day supervision of sessional contact workers
Closing date
5th June 2026
Interviews
TBC
DBS
Enhanced DBS check required, including children and adults barred lists
Driving
This car requires travel across Cheshire and the successful applicant will have a full driving licence and own a car
About MyCWA
MyCWA (Cheshire Without Abuse) has been delivering domestic abuse services across Cheshire for over fifty years. We run frontline support, early intervention, perpetrator behaviour change programmes, and specialist responses for adults, children, and families affected by domestic abuse.
This role sits within our new Supervised Contact Centre, which provides court-directed and voluntary supervised contact for children and families where domestic abuse is a feature of the case. The centre operates under NACCC accreditation standards and within a domestic abuse-informed framework.
We take seriously the evidence that supervised contact, when poorly delivered, can expose children and non-abusive parents to ongoing harm. Our service is designed from the ground up with that evidence in mind. We expect the worker in this post to hold that same understanding.
Job Description
Post Title: Contact Centre Development Worker
Salary: NJC SCP 15–18, circa £27,000–£30,000 per annum
Responsible to: Children and Young People Service Manager
Responsible for: Sessional Contact Workers
Purpose of the role
The Contact Centre Development Worker is responsible for the day-to-day delivery and quality assurance of supervised contact sessions, ensuring services are child-focused, trauma-informed, and grounded in an accurate understanding of domestic abuse.
The post-holder will carry out assessments, write reports, maintain records, support and supervise sessional workers, and deliver direct work with children and parents. They will also contribute to the development of the service, including group work programmes and age-appropriate parenting support.
Key responsibilities
Assessment and case management
- Undertake pre-visit assessments with all families referred to the supervised contact service, gathering information from referrers, parties, Cafcass, social care, and other relevant agencies.
- Complete domestic abuse risk and safety assessments, including use of DASH and other recognised tools, to inform decisions about the appropriateness and conditions of contact.
- Assess the nature and history of domestic abuse in each case, including patterns of coercive control, using an informed analytical framework rather than incident-based evaluation.
- Contribute to multi-agency risk management processes, including MARAC, where appropriate.
- Review cases regularly and produce case updates for the service manager, court, and referrers as required.
Supervision of contact sessions
- Supervise contact sessions directly, maintaining consistent, close observation of interactions between the visiting parent or relative and the child.
- Create and maintain a safe, neutral environment for children during contact, prioritising the child’s emotional and physical wellbeing throughout.
- Manage arrivals and departures to prevent contact between parties and to maintain the safety of the non-residential parent.
- Recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns arising during or following contact sessions, following MyCWA’s safeguarding procedures and statutory obligations.
- End contact sessions where child welfare or safety requires it, documenting the reasons clearly.
Report writing and case recording
- Write detailed, objective, court-ready reports on contact observations, accurately recording what occurred, the child’s responses, the visiting parent’s behaviour, and any concerns.
- Maintain case notes and records to a high standard in line with NACCC standards and organisational requirements.
- Contribute written evidence to court proceedings when directed to do so, and be prepared to give evidence in court if required.
- Ensure all recording is accurate, timely, and does not reflect unsubstantiated opinion.
Working with children and families
- Deliver age-appropriate direct work with children to understand their wishes and feelings in relation to contact, using child-centred communication methods suited to developmental stage.
- Provide age-appropriate parenting support to the residential and non-residential parent as part of the contact process, drawing on evidence-based approaches.
- Support children and parents to understand what supervised contact involves, what will happen during sessions, and what information may be shared.
- Recognise and respond to trauma responses in children and parents, maintaining a trauma-informed approach throughout all direct contact with service users.
Delivery of group work
- Plan, develop, and deliver group work programmes for parents attending the supervised contact service, including programmes addressing parenting in the context of domestic abuse.
- Evaluate group work delivery and adapt content based on participant feedback and outcomes data.
- Contribute to the development of new group work resources and materials as the service develops.
Oversight of sessional workers
- Provide day-to-day supervision and support to sessional contact workers, ensuring they are appropriately briefed before sessions and debriefed afterwards.
- Monitor the practice of sessional workers, identifying training or development needs and escalating concerns to the service manager.
- Contribute to the induction, training, and ongoing professional development of sessional workers.
Safeguarding
- Ensure all safeguarding concerns are responded to promptly and recorded accurately.
- Maintain current knowledge of safeguarding legislation, guidance, and local procedures, including Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.
- Make referrals to statutory agencies where there are child protection concerns, in line with organisational policy.
- Maintain an awareness of adult safeguarding duties and respond to concerns about adult service users appropriately.
Service development and quality assurance
- Contribute to the maintenance of NACCC accreditation by upholding and evidencing compliance with national standards.
- Participate in reflective supervision, case consultation, and team meetings.
- Contribute to service monitoring, data collection, and evaluation to support reporting to commissioners, funders, and the NACCC assessor.
- Support the development of policies, procedures, and referral pathways as the service grows.
General responsibilities
- Work within MyCWA’s policies and procedures at all times, including equal opportunities, data protection, and confidentiality.
- Maintain professional boundaries and reflect on practice in regular supervision.
- Participate in training and continuous professional development relevant to the role.
- Undertake any other duties reasonably requested by the service manager, commensurate with the level of the post.
This job description is not exhaustive. It will be reviewed periodically and may be amended following discussion with the post-holder.
Person Specification
The criteria below will be assessed through the Application form (A), interview (I), references (R), and practical tasks or exercise where relevant (T). All essential criteria must be met.
Qualifications and Training
CACHE Level 3, 4 or 5 qualification in Children and Young People’s Work, Health and Social Care, or equivalent (e.g. NVQ/Diploma in Children’s Care Learning and Development; Social Work degree; relevant professional qualification in family support or related field)
Training in domestic abuse, including understanding of coercive and controlling behaviour
Current safeguarding training (Level 2 or above) relevant to children and adults
Training or qualification in trauma-informed practice
Training in use of DASH or other domestic abuse risk assessment tools
Knowledge of NACCC standards and accreditation framework
Knowledge and Understanding
Sound understanding of domestic abuse, including coercive control, post-separation abuse, and the impact of domestic abuse on children
Understanding of child development across age ranges, and how trauma affects development
Understanding of safeguarding frameworks, legislation, and local procedures, including Working Together 2023
Understanding of the family court system and the role of supervised contact within it
Understanding of trauma-informed approaches to working with adults and children
Understanding of pro-contact culture in the family courts and its implications for risk
Knowledge of NACCC national standards for supervised contact
Understanding of parenting approaches appropriate to families affected by domestic abuse
Skills and Abilities
Ability to write clear, accurate, objective reports suitable for submission to court
Ability to maintain detailed, accurate case notes and records
Ability to carry out risk assessments using DASH or equivalent tools and to analyse risk in domestic abuse cases
Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with a range of audiences, including families, courts, Cafcass, and statutory agencies
Ability to manage direct contact between children and parents, maintaining safety and responding decisively to concerns
Ability to deliver direct work with children across age ranges using age-appropriate methods
Ability to plan and deliver group work programmes
Ability to provide day-to-day supervision and support to sessional workers
Ability to hold professional boundaries under pressure, including when working with distressed or hostile adults
Ability to contribute to service development and quality assurance processes
Experience
Experience of direct work with children and families in a professional context
Experience of working with domestic abuse either in a specialist service or as a significant part of another role
Experience of writing professional reports, case notes, or assessments
Experience of applying safeguarding procedures in practice
Experience of working in or with the family court system, including knowledge of court-directed contact arrangements
Experience of supervised or supported contact work
Experience of delivering or co-facilitating group work programmes
Experience of supervising or supporting other workers or volunteers
Personal qualities and other requirements
Commitment to child-centred practice and to the welfare of children as the primary consideration
Commitment to working in a trauma-informed way with all service users
Ability to remain calm, grounded, and professional in high-pressure or distressing situations
Commitment to reflective practice and willingness to receive and act on supervision
Reliability and punctuality – contact sessions are scheduled and cannot be delivered without appropriate cover
Willingness to work some evenings and weekends to meet service needs
Enhanced DBS check (children and adults barred lists) – this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Access to own transport and full UK driving licence (the service operates across Cheshire)
Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of practice
Job Advert
Contact Centre Development Worker
MyCWA Supervised Contact Centre | Cheshire
Salary: NJC SCP 15–18, circa £27,000–£30,000 per annum (depending on experience and qualifications)
Hours: 20 hours per week (pattern includes evenings and weekends)
Contract: Permanent, subject to funding review
Location: Crewe centre (base negotiable; service operates across Cheshire)
Qualification required: CACHE Level 3–5 or equivalent in Children and Young People’s Work, Health and Social Care, or related discipline
MyCWA (Cheshire Without Abuse) is a specialist domestic abuse charity operating across Cheshire. We have been delivering services for over fifty years: frontline support, perpetrator behaviour change, early intervention, and specialist work with children and families.
We are opening a new Supervised Contact Centre. This is a deliberate development. The evidence is clear that supervised contact provision in England and Wales is inadequate in volume, inconsistent in quality, and too often delivered without the domestic abuse expertise that cases require. We are building something that takes that evidence seriously.
This role is the backbone of that service.
You will supervise contact sessions, carry out risk assessments, write reports, maintain case records, support children directly, and provide day-to-day oversight of sessional workers. You will deliver group work and age-appropriate parenting support. You will contribute to the development of a service that is, from the start, grounded in practitioner knowledge and survivor experience.
We are looking for someone who holds a CACHE Level 3, 4 or 5 qualification (or equivalent) and who brings genuine knowledge of domestic abuse, including coercive control. You do not need to have worked in a supervised contact centre before – but you do need experience of working with adults and children in a professional setting.
The ability to write court-quality reports is non-negotiable. So is the ability to sit in a room with a frightened child and a parent who may have caused significant harm, and to do your job precisely, carefully, and without flinching.
This is not an easy role. It asks a lot. It also sits inside an organisation that knows what the work actually involves, and that has the practice depth and professional infrastructure to support you properly.
If you have the qualifications, the experience, and the commitment to do this work well, we want to hear from you.
For a full recruitment pack, including job description and person specification, please email [email protected].
MyCWA is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of domestic abuse and from communities that are under-represented in the specialist sector.
Enhanced DBS required. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
MyCWA is a registered charity. Registered charity number 1153273.
Pay: £27,000.00-£30,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
