Join us as a Family Support Worker (Visits Centre Assistant) at HMP Swaleside, where you will play an important role in supporting families visiting their loved ones in prison.

• To offer a friendly and welcoming environment within the Visitors Centre, where people visiting the prison, can spend time before and after their visit.
• To assist in the operation of the Centre ensuring the Centre is open at the specified times and support volunteers and other members of the team.
• To assist with booking in of visitors in line with Pact and the prison’s procedures.
• Encourage families to access support by interacting with visitors, offering confidential advice, and providing extra support for first-time visitors.
• Ensure visitors have up-to-date information about the prison, assisted visits scheme, and other agencies, available in multiple languages.
• Create a children's area in the visitors centre with artwork, posters, information, toys, and materials to engage children before and after visits.
• Listening and recording and reporting service user voices, including collaborating with visits and security staff to ensure close co-operation in the smooth and efficient reception of visitors at the prison.
• To be responsible for the security of the Visitors Centre and for ensuring that Fire Regulations and Health and Safety Regulations are observed.
• With support from the Family Engagement Manager, to liaise with the prison when repairs or maintenance is required in the Visitors Centre and ensure the cleanliness of the Centre.
• Support with play activities within the prison visit hall to ensure that children feel comfortable, safe and secure while visiting their parent in prison.
• To promote opportunities for children to engage with their mother or father who is in prison in an appropriate way during a visit and family days.
• To ensure the play equipment is safe, clean and able to fulfil its requirements, storing and restocking as required.
• To provide an excellent, friendly and welcoming refreshment service to prisoners and their families inside the prison and visits hall.
• Support the planning, quality, and delivery of family/teen days in the visits hall during school holidays or weekends, in partnership with 3rd Sector organisations. 
• Ensure high-quality, age-appropriate play and activities.
•  Organise activities for men without visits and collaborate with colleagues for individuals who do not receive visits.
•  Assist the team in delivering engaging family days. Days and times to be agreed with the establishment and other providers.
• To work in the Visitors’ Centre and the Visits hall on a regular basis, as dictated by the rota and in line with the service level agreement times and days of operation.
  

• Clear understanding of professional boundaries which will enable you to work with prisoners and their families.
• An awareness of the impact of custody on prisoners, and on children and families.
• An awareness and understanding of the challenges facing those working in a custodial setting
• Ability to follow safeguarding practices and safer working practices
• Good understanding of confidentiality and data protection
• Experience of working directly with children, young people and their families, planning creative, relevant play activities for children 
• Experience of working in a team and also of using own initiative with limited supervision.
• Experience of working in a Tea-bar environment or other retail outlets or working in an environment where customer service is important.
• Knowledge and experience of good practice in promoting diversity and making services accessible to all.
• Experience of working in a prison environment and demonstrable understanding of how prisons operate is desirable 
• The ability to offer a warm welcome to visitors, to smile and treat people with dignity and respect, welcoming to our diverse range of visitors.
• Ability to work in a challenging environment and remain calm.
• Ability to support volunteers
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to relate sensitively to prisoners' families and communicate effectively with prison staff, other agencies, colleagues, and service users.

Disclaimer: We will be interviewing for this role as suitable applications are received and may close this role before the closing date upon a successful candidate being appointed.