Location: Tide House, Bideford, Devon
Role type: Office based (no home working)
Reporting to: Registered Manager / Responsible Individual
About Tide House
Tide House is a Residential Family Assessment Centre rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted (August 2025). We undertake parenting assessments for up to five families placed with us, providing ‘expert evidence’ to support families, local authorities and care proceedings. Families have self-contained accommodation of 1-3 bedrooms, allowing us to support families with multiple parents and children.
Tide House utilises relational approaches to support families to care for their children in a safe and consistent way, alongside undertaking the required assessment of them, as directed by the Local Authority or Court.
The role
As a Family Key Worker you will be primarily responsible for the safeguarding of children during their time at Tide House. Alongside the day to day monitoring support and safeguarding of families, you will utilise your skills and experience to play a key role in contributing to the assessment being led by the Social Worker. The Family Key Worker takes a lead role in ensuring the child’s needs are met within the assessment period and coordinating the family placement plan.
You will be joining a multi disciplinary team that includes Social Workers, Therapists, Assessment Support Workers and Family Key Workers. The team are highly skilled and experienced in supporting families with a wide range of needs, including mental ill health, substance use, learning disabilities, domestic abuse and past trauma. There is a clear focus at Tide House to encourage parents to do things themselves and for us to assess that, rather than stepping in to do ‘for’.
This role has an important safeguarding responsibility, both for the families you directly work with and as a contributor to the wider safeguarding culture throughout the organisation. Close support, clear communication and regular recordings all support us to ensure children at Tide House are kept safe and their wellbeing promoted.
This role must be undertaken fully in the office.
Working hours are 08:00 – 16:00, Monday to Friday plus part of the on-call rota.
The successful candidate will have:
1. Professional experience of support or care for children and/or vulnerable adults.
2. The ability to balance the need to support a family with the need to assess what they are able to do for themselves
3. A commitment to safeguarding.
4. A trauma-informed approach to working with parents, whilst ensuring a child-focus to the assessment.
5. Experience of using technology to type written records.
6. An ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
7. A commitment to professional development.
What we offer at Tide House:
A warm, person‑centred organisation making a real difference
- A homely, nurturing environment where people feel valued
- Small enough for strong relationships, big enough for real opportunities
- A supportive culture focused on improving lives every day
Clear values and meaningful purpose
- Everything we do is centred around safety, wellbeing and getting it right for families
- A commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for families through consistent, high quality and relational practice
- A shared vision that everyone is part of and contributes to
Supportive, visible and experienced leadership
- Managers who listen, guide and actively support you
- A collaborative multi‑disciplinary approach
- Friendly and approachable leadership team
- Regular 1:1 and group supervision
Robust, supportive induction
- Structured induction programme to help you feel confident in your role
- Hands-on learning and guidance from experienced staff
- Shadowing shifts and ongoing mentoring
Support for your career progression
- We invest in developing your skills and career
- Training and qualifications funded (by agreement)
- Pathways for progression into different roles
Meaningful rewards
- Highly competitive salary
- Paid annual leave (33 days, inclusive of Bank Holidays for this role)
- Paid sick leave
- Private healthcare
- Company pension
- Paid flu vaccine
- Paid eye care
- Annual staff celebration and social event
Excellent IT systems
- Bespoke, in-house, case management system
- Responsive, in-person IT support
- Easy-to-use systems that help you succeed in your role
- Tools designed to make your work smoother and more efficient
A great working environment
- A calm, positive and well-maintained office setting
- Tea, coffee and biscuits, as needed!
- A team culture built on kindness, respect and collaboration
- A supportive atmosphere where everyone looks out for each other