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Please forward your application form or full CV along with a brief cover letter detailing your interest in the work we do, along with your suitability for the role to: recruitment@thebelayfoundation.org.uk
We are committed to safer recruitment practices and all successful applicants will have their CV history checked, offer two referees and undergo an enhanced DBS check. The recruitment process involves 4 stages:
The Belay Foundation provides training to all new Specialist Support Workers (SSWs) in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries, and regulating techniques, as well as any bespoke training or preparation that will help you take up any individual role. SSWs also receive ongoing support, peer supervision and clinical supervision.
All Specialist Support Worker roles not only provide the opportunity to make a huge difference to a family, but also to develop experience and practice in working in complex environments impacted by early life trauma, neurodiversity, attachment challenges and other environments where relational safety are crucial.
We are currently recruiting in the Worcester area, for two to four great roles to support three siblings aged 13, 7 and 5 for a combined total of around 35 hours a week, split between the roles. The number of roles, and the specific hours, duties and responsibilities of each, will be discussed and agreed with candidates, with the aim of shaping individual part time positions that will collectively provide the support the family needs, while also building on the interests, skills and experience of those applying. These roles will provide great career development. Our aim is to shape the roles to form a support team playing to individuals strengths and interests while also enabling flexibility alongside other commitments.
Chris* (13) is really into history and butterflies! He has an amazing memory, and can be fun company. Karl*(7) is a cute, determined poppet who enjoys puzzles and playing with vehicles (Tractor Ted being a particular favourite). Ollie* (5) is chatty, funny and caring and likes nothing more than dressing up or playing with the family’s pets.
All three children can be individually lovely; however they all live with complex disabilities and the impact of their earliest years. The children are educated at home and have both complex medical and behavioural needs. Chris, who is autistic, can display behaviours that are similar to those of a much younger child both at home and out, and needs calm, challenging support not only to attend activities but also to help him through the daily routine; Karl is visually impaired and has medical needs that mean he needs practical support; Ollie is impulsive, looks for and benefits from one to one attention, and often presents younger than his years.
Chris, Karl and Ollie’s family are looking for potentially several individuals who will form a team to support the family and each child – assisting with the home routines, facilitating learning, and enabling access to activities and opportunities outside the home.
It is essential that all candidates are flexible, willing to learn and to work to build trusted relationships. You will have experience of working with young people, and ideally working directly to support neurodiverse children with medical needs and who live with the impacts of early trauma. The key requirements, however, are that your experience is grounded in personal maturity, you are able to remain calm and connected even under pressure, and that you are willing to work together with the parents to learn and put into practice the strategies that have been identified to work well for them as a family. There may be some hands on care required, and some personal lifting. You will need access to your own transport to get to and from the family home, and it is essential that you are confident in driving with young people and managing complex behaviours outside the house. As the children are home-educated there will also be a requirement to support and enable the young people with their more academic and home learning activities. As this is an attachment-focussed role, we are looking for candidates who are willing to gradually evolve their roles with the family and are reliable, as all the children struggle with change.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries, regulating techniques as well as other any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support, peer supervision and clinical supervision. This is a great opportunity to develop your practice supporting children living with neurodiversity and trauma, and to learn about the impact of complex additional needs on a child’s development and family life.
Role Details
· Benefits: £15-20 per hour; training; CPD opportunities; peer and clinical supervision; the chance to connect to a community of Specialist Support Workers and make professional connections
· Hours: around 8-16 per week, days and times flexible during weekdays, the family are looking for a total of 35 hours split over 2-4 roles.
· Start date: ASAP, subject to enhanced DBS check and references
· Role type: It is anticipated all roles will be part-time and self-employed
*Names changed to protect identity.
This is a fantastic opportunity to offer trauma-responsive support the care of a 15-old boy in his home. Eddie* also has a 11-year-old brother at home, William*, who you will meet. The role is for 6 – 10 hours per week and can fit around other employment or commitments.
Eddie* (15) loves gaming and is really into retro computer games. Eddie has previously been very sociable and really chatty, particularly about gaming, but currently has withdrawn into spending a lot of time alone and finding it hard to be with people. It’s understandable given his level of trauma and repeated sense of abandonment.
He has previously enjoyed going out and to visit playgrounds or cafes and has enjoyed going to the gym, but at the moment he is choosing to stay at home to maintain his emotional wellbeing. He does long for company and once feeling safe again could hopefully enjoy retro gaming or chatting or even someone to take him out again, perhaps to the gym or just for walks.
Eddie is autistic with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and ADHD as well as the impact of his earliest traumatic experiences. This role is to create a safe and attuned relationship with Eddie to offer him some emotional support and allow him to experience company or even activities outside the home. Eddie and William live with their mum and by looking after Eddie you will also be offering their Mum support. Eddie is great company and very kind, but he has some complex needs including very high levels of anxiety. Eddie’s mum is looking for someone able to commit to building a stable, healthy and attuned relationship with him, and acting as a responsible adult and mentor.
This role will be extremely rewarding and offer a valuable insight into working directly with children with complex needs using an attachment model of care. You will have experience of working with young people or children with additional needs and be open to learning about attachment and trauma. Emotionally mature, you will be happy to fit in with the family and to work with the boys’ Mum to use strategies that work within the family.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries and regulating techniques as well as other any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support, peer supervision and clinical supervision.
Role Details
*Names changed to protect identity
A fantastic opportunity is available to support two siblings, aged 8 and 9, who were adopted from care. This role is part-time after school and on a weekend, with additional hours available in school holidays.
Evan* is 9 and loves being outdoors, digging, building and climbing. Evan is really good at individual sports like climbing and swimming and is a very fast runner. At home Evan enjoys creative activities like drawing, cross stitch and knitting, as well as playing with the family cat.
Alice* is 8 and very sociable, really enjoying the company of other children. Alice likes to try new things as well as reading and writing stories at home. Both Evan and Alice were adopted from care and have attachment needs. Evan has complex needs due to his earliest experiences and has recently moved to a specialist school.
Evan and Alice’s parents are looking for someone to visit the house after school 2 days a week and for some time on the weekend, with additional hours available during the school holidays. Initially you’ll play at home, or take the children to the park, building up the relationship slowly to eventually allow Evan and Alice’s parents some respite in the evenings and taking Evan to holiday clubs.
You’ll have experience of working with children and an interest in the psychological impacts of early trauma and attachment disruption. You’ll be patient to take time to develop relationships, and demonstrate being able to work in a professional, confidential and attachment-focused way. You’ll have a warm and empathetic approach while being able to gently provide boundaries. The family home is accessible by public transport but ideally you will have access to a car.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries, regulating techniques as well as other any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support, peer reflection sessions and clinical supervision.
This is a rewarding opportunity to make a huge difference to a family and develop your own practice of working with complex trauma.
Role Details
A wonderful opportunity is available to support a 10-year-old girl. This role would be for 4 hours per week on a weekend in term time and 6 hours per week to work flexibly during school holidays. It is an incredibly rewarding role and offers great career development.
Stephanie* loves being active and playing outside, particularly on swings or with anything involving water. Stephanie has a wonderful, determined spirit to overcome the difficulties she has in life. She loves 1:1 attention, going to the park and swimming. Stephanie has really complex needs that come from her earliest experiences in life and has been diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and Global Developmental Delay. Stephanie’s needs impact every area of her life and she needs highly attuned care and constant supervision, including support with personal care.
The role is to support Stephanie 1:1 from the family home, either playing with her at home or taking Stephanie to the local park or swimming pool. Stephanie’s family would like 4 hours of support on a weekend each week during term time and 6 hours of support which can be flexible each week during school holidays. You’ll build a relationship slowly and become a trusted adult in Stephanie’s life.
The role is long-term using an attachment-focused model of care and we ask that candidates are available for at least 9 months. You will have experience of working with children, with experience of neurodivergence such as FASD or ASD and an interest in the developmental impacts of attachment and trauma.
You will be happy to work together with Stephanie’s family to use strategies that work, and to be able to combine playfulness and energetic interaction with the maintenance of firm boundaries and personal resilience. You will also be ready to perform some personal care duties. You will need to have your own transport to reach the family home.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries, regulating techniques as well as other any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support, peer supervision and clinical supervision. This is a great opportunity to develop your practice supporting children with trauma and to learn about the impact of complex additional needs on a child’s development and family life.
Role Details
We are currently recruiting for two great roles to support two boys aged 16 and 15, with each role being for six hours a week. These roles offer a great opportunity for direct work in a family setting, as well as ongoing training and support.
Pete* (16) is fun, engaging and likes to try new things. He is never happier than when he is out on his bike. Dominic* (15) is quieter, building good relationships over time and well liked by those who commit to getting to know him properly. Both boys love scooting and getting out to the beach or the gym, as well as enjoying Lego and board games and delighting in any opportunity to play on the Xbox.
Pete and Dominic both live with the impact of trauma from their earliest years, and have complex needs; they present as emotionally younger than their chronological ages. Dominic can be quite closed down, finding it difficult to discuss his feelings; in contrast, Pete responds to stress in a more outspoken and confrontational manner.
Between them, these posts aim to support the family by spending time with the boys at the weekend, gradually building a trusting relationship, and in the long run potentially having sole care on either a Saturday or Sunday either at home or accompanying the boys out and about. Providing patient, calm and responsive care, delivering a sense of security and stability, and enabling respite and support for the parents will be the key objectives.
You will have experience of working with young people, and ideally working directly to support neurodivergent children or young people who are impacted by early trauma. Above all however, it is essential that your experience is grounded in personal maturity, you are able to remain calm and connected even under pressure, and that you are willing to work together with the parents to learn and put into practice the models of care that work well for them as a family. As this is an attachment-focussed role, we are looking for candidates who are willing to gradually evolve their roles with the family and are reliable, as both children struggle with change.
While access to your own transport is not essential it would be helpful as it would assist in broadening the range of activities you could support. Pete is particularly keen to find a cycling companion, so an interest in cycling on Saturday mornings would be helpful.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries and regulating techniques as well as other any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support, peer supervision and clinical supervision. This is a great opportunity to develop your practice supporting children living with neurodiversity and trauma, and to learn about the impact of complex additional needs on a child’s development and family life.
Role Details
For our application form and to find out more about The Belay Foundation, visit: www.thebelayfoundation.org.uk.
*Names changed to protect identity.
Job Type: Part-time
Part-time hours: 6 per week
Salary: £14.00 per
A fantastic opportunity is available to support a 7-year-old boy. This role would be for around 3 hours each weekend, with additional hours available during school holidays.
Laurie* is a very sociable and affectionate child who is full of energy, fearless and independent. He loves water and just being out and about – or at home bouncing endlessly on the trampoline. He also enjoys playing with trains and cars or watching the odd movie; but ideally always wants to be on the move! He is great fun to be with, however living with the impact of his earliest experiences and his complex needs means Laurie presents as emotionally younger than his chronological age, struggling to regulate himself, to stay calm and on task in school, to fit in with social norms around personal space and behaviour, and to manage his impulsivity and emotions.
The position is to support the family for a few hours at the weekend – probably about three hours – which can be agreed around availability, with the potential for additional hours occasionally after school as well as in school holidays. The key to success in this role will be the ability to build a trusted relationship with Laurie, playing with him at home and taking him out and about, being confident in managing boundaries and potentially aggressive behaviour towards you and his peers, and to be actively enthusiastic about getting involved in physical activities alongside him.
This role will be extremely rewarding and offer a valuable insight into working directly with children with developmental trauma using an attachment model of care. You will have experience of working with children, be open and engaging with emotional maturity, and be willing to work together with Laurie’s family to use strategies that work in keeping him calm and connected. A driving licence is not essential however you will need to be able to either drive confidently with a young person or travel safely with them on public transport.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries and regulating techniques, as well as any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support and access to reflective supervision.
This is a great opportunity to develop your practice supporting children with trauma and to learn about the impact of complex additional needs on a child’s development and family life.
Role Details
*Name changed to protect identity.
This great role is to offer trauma-responsive support to 2 teenage siblings, neither of whom are currently able to be in school. The role is to spend 1:1 time with each young person individually on two days of each week of between 3-4 hours on each day, so a total of 6-8 hours work each week in total. Ideally this would be for 3-4 hours on a Thursday and for 3-4 hours on a Friday. These hours can be flexible though and fit around other commitments. The role will continue throughout the year, including school holidays. This is a fantastic opportunity to build relationships with 2 brilliant young people in a role that will offer career development and training in the field of complex trauma.
Simon* (13) loves 3D digital animation – definitely not stop-motion animation – and has real skills in coding. He loves detail and precision and develops deep interests. Simon really enjoys Minecraft and creating characters to play with. Simon has ASD with a PDA-type profile. Katie* (14) really enjoys baking at home and loves watching TV shows such as Big Bang Theory and The Good Place. With previous Support Workers, Katie has enjoyed going out to Starbucks. Katie has ADHD. In addition to their neurodiversity, both children live with the legacy of their earliest traumatic experiences and this has meant that lots of areas of their lives are difficult, but in very different ways.
Simon and Katie’s parents would love someone to create a relationship with both children individually. This would mean getting to know them both slowly at the children’s pace, spending up to 4 hours at a time with them 1:1. Because neither Katie or Simon can be in school, the hours could be flexible within 9am-5pm and fit around other commitments. Their parents are looking for someone emotionally mature and reliable and willing to work to build stable, healthy and attuned relationships with the Katie and Simon.
This role will be extremely rewarding and offer a valuable insight into working directly with children with complex developmental needs using an attachment model of care. You should have some experience of working with young people or children with additional needs, and that you have either experience supporting children living with attachment and trauma difficulties, or that you are willing to learn and invest in the family. Curious and reflective, you will be happy to work alongside the parents to use relational strategies that work.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries and regulating techniques as well as other any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support, peer supervision and clinical supervision.
Role Details
*Names changed to protect identity
**This role is exempt from the 2010 Equality Act on gender grounds due to the vulnerable nature of the young person being supported
This great role is to offer trauma-responsive support to 2 teenage siblings, neither of whom are currently able to be in school. The role is to spend 1:1 time with each young person individually on two days of each week of between 3-4 hours on each day, so a total of 6-8 hours work each week in total. Ideally this would be for 3-4 hours on a Thursday and for 3-4 hours on a Friday. These hours can be flexible though and fit around other commitments. The role will continue throughout the year, including school holidays. This is a fantastic opportunity to build relationships with 2 brilliant young people in a role that will offer career development and training in the field of complex trauma.
Simon* (13) loves 3D digital animation – definitely not stop-motion animation – and has real skills in coding. He loves detail and precision and develops deep interests. Simon really enjoys Minecraft and creating characters to play with. Simon has ASD with a PDA-type profile. Katie* (14) really enjoys baking at home and loves watching TV shows such as Big Bang Theory and The Good Place. With previous Support Workers, Katie has enjoyed going out to Starbucks. Katie has ADHD. In addition to their neurodiversity, both children live with the legacy of their earliest traumatic experiences and this has meant that lots of areas of their lives are difficult, but in very different ways.
Simon and Katie’s parents would love someone to create a relationship with both children individually. This would mean getting to know them both slowly at the children’s pace, spending up to 4 hours at a time with them 1:1. Because neither Katie or Simon can be in school, the hours could be flexible within 9am-5pm and fit around other commitments. Their parents are looking for someone emotionally mature and reliable and willing to work to build stable, healthy and attuned relationships with the Katie and Simon.
This role will be extremely rewarding and offer a valuable insight into working directly with children with complex developmental needs using an attachment model of care. You should have some experience of working with young people or children with additional needs, and that you have either experience supporting children living with attachment and trauma difficulties, or that you are willing to learn and invest in the family. Curious and reflective, you will be happy to work alongside the parents to use relational strategies that work.
To support you The Belay Foundation will offer training in attachment and trauma, safeguarding, professional boundaries and regulating techniques as well as other any other preparation that will help you in the role. You will also receive ongoing support, peer supervision and clinical supervision.
Role Details
*Names changed to protect identity
**This role is exempt from the 2010 Equality Act on gender grounds due to the vulnerable nature of the young person being supported
Vacancies mentioned here are roles that we are currently discussing and shaping with families. If you spot something that particularly interests you, please do send an email to recruitment@thebelayfoundation.org.uk to let us know.
Alternatively, if you would like to be kept informed of any future vacancies in your area, please click here to register your interest:
The Belay Foundation is a charity helping families whose children have suffered early life trauma.
Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1192653
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