Family Support Worker - Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) Team

Job introduction

Job title: Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) Team – Family Support Worker

A bit about us:

Liverpool is home to vibrant, energetic, and engaged communities, people who take real ownership of their local area and are passionate about making our city a better place. We've got ambitious targets to meet and we need people who are driven, dynamic and ready to deliver the very best for our communities. Public service is more important than ever, and this role represents a real opportunity to make a difference to our communities by transforming the way we work and placing our residents at the heart of everything we do. 

Working at Liverpool City Council provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services.

We are proud of our world-famous thriving city with its rich culture, as well as affordable housing, good schools, beautiful green spaces – there’s really something for everyone!

Our Practice Model – “Our City, Our Children, Together” – was chosen by colleagues, parents and carers, children, and young people to reflect our collective commitment to working collaboratively, it is more than just a practice model, it is a shared vision. Every part of this model has been co-produced with the people who access and deliver our services. It represents our values, our relationships, and our belief that, by working together, we can create the best outcomes for children, young people, and their networks. This is a model we can be proud of and one that truly belongs to all of us.

Join a service that's really making a difference. Liverpool Children's Services is proud to be rated "Good" by Ofsted, with inspectors recognising the positive impact of our work for children, young people and families across the city. 

Liverpool City Council Children and Young People's Services has recently undergone its Ofsted ILACS inspection, achieving a positive outcome across all four judgement areas (three judgement areas securing a ‘Good’ outcome), with inspectors praising stronger social work practice, a more stable workforce, and improved outcomes for children, young people and their networks. The Ofsted report specifically highlighted "improvements to Liverpool's social work workforce, with the council moving from relying predominantly on temporary staff to employing a majority permanent workforce. Reduced workloads have enabled practitioners to develop more meaningful relationships with children and families, while social workers told inspectors they felt well supported and appropriately challenged by managers, with morale described as high."

Jenny Glennard, Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, said the inspection reflected both the commitment of the workforce and a renewed focus on children and young people's experiences. "I am very proud of our workforce, our schools, and our partners who work tirelessly to support the children of the city. There is always more to do, and we will continue to build on this progress."

The full report can be viewed here: Ofsted Report

This achievement reflects the dedication, passion and expertise of our workforce, and our commitment to delivering high-quality services that help children thrive. If you're looking to build your career in a supportive and ambitious organisation who are striving for excellence, we'd love to hear from you!

The role:

Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC) are an innovative, problem-solving and evidenced based multi-disciplinary intervention with families in the court arena. Evidence has shown that FDAC’s deliver better outcomes for families and children involved in the public family law justice system. The FDAC trained judges work in conjunction with the specialist team to support parents in overcoming substance misuse and related challenges to ensure they can safely care for their children. We have recently created this new and innovative service within Liverpool City Council and are looking for an experienced family support worker to join the team.

• You will be a qualified (NVQ level 3 in childcare or equivalent), skilled and experienced family support worker within Children’s Services, having previously worked with vulnerable children, young people and their families
• As a Family Support Worker you will have a robust understanding of all Children’s Safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and processes, with a proven record of working across all disciplines, including mental health and domestic abuse working closely with all multi-agencies
• The role will include a strong focus on a relationship approach and complex family circumstances, including alcohol and drug addiction and domestic abuse, so you will need to have excellent communication skills and good experience in direct work with vulnerable families and innovative way of implementing intervention techniques and support
• As a Family Support Worker you will be part of a specialist team, undertaking assessments and making important and key recommendations for parents and children. You will work to support provision of timely and effective intervention. Your role will be to contribute to every child being able to grow up safely and reach their full potential 

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Our offer to you:

• At least 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays rising to 32 after 5 years’ service (pro rata if part time) - option to purchase further days
• Agile working (role dependent) - a “Flexibility First” approach to agile working, where flexibility is the norm rather than the exception
• Part of the Local Government Pension Scheme – option to join the AVC Scheme
• Progression - opportunities and training through a wide range of high quality learning
• Health and Wellbeing - offer including Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work and Travel Pass Schemes 
• Drive Time – a salary sacrifice car lease scheme
• Family friendly policies with enhanced leave  
• Discounted Gym Memberships 
• Employee Volunteering Scheme 
• Medicash 

Next steps:
Closing date: Midnight on 27 September 2026
Shortlisting date: 28 September 2026
Interview date: W/C 5 October 2026
Interview type: Face-to-face

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Once the role has closed, you will not be able to submit an application, and we are unable to reopen the vacancy for you to complete it. We strongly recommend submitting your application well in advance of the closing date to avoid disappointment.

If you would like any further information or an informal discussion, please contact Harriet Cadman, Recruitment and Retention Lead, [email removed] 

Watch our recruitment video and see what life is like working at Liverpool City Council.

Liverpool City Council is committed to fostering a workforce representative of the communities we serve. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe in appointing candidates based on their skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities. To support this commitment, we guarantee an interview to candidates from under-represented groups who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. 

If you require any reasonable adjust