Family Support Officer - DDSL

Family Support Officer - DDSL 

Location: Smallfield, Surrey 
Contract Type: Permanent 
Actual annual salary: £27,713 - £30,250 dependant on qualifications and experience 
Hourly rate: £15.51 - £16.93 per hour 
Hours: 40 hours per week - Term Time only - Start time 8.15am - Finish time Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday 4.45pm. Thursday 5pm and Friday 4pm  

Start Date: September 2025 

Aurora Redehall School  

The Aurora Group is one of the largest providers of SEND educational and care services in the country, supporting over 1,200 children, young people and adults, and employing over 1,600 staff spread across 27 services around England and Redehall school provides education designed specifically for children in years 2 - 6 with difficulties with communication and social interaction, typically associated with Autism.  

Due to an internal move, we are looking to recruit a Family Support Officer to join our team at Redehall School.  

The main purpose of the role: 

The purpose of the Family Support Officer is to work with our DSL/Pastoral lead, together with the therapy team in supporting families of primary aged students with ASD and other associated difficulties.    

Key duties: 

• Encourage a culture of listening to children and young people, taking into account their wishes and feelings so that measures may be put in place to protect them. 
• Become a part of the school safeguarding team and a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), which involves being responsible for safeguarding and child protection issues, acting according to the roles and responsibilities as outlined in the Statutory Government Guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education. 
• To coordinate with school staff, families and therapists to implement support strategies  
• To initiate and lead on family support and early help assessments across the school, which identify and address the needs of vulnerable students in a coordinated manner, and in accordance with family support/early help assessment timeframes, liaising with relevant staff as needed including the pastoral lead and DSL and therapists. 
• As part of early help assessment and identifying needs, complete one to one direct interventions with pupils and the wider family, or source agencies to provide interventions as required in liaison with the inclusion service.  
• Maintain accurate, confidential, secure and up-to-date documentation on all cases of safeguarding and child protection using My Concern. 
• Keep records accurate and up to date in order to ensure information on child/young person supports and informs reviews and development plans for the individual including documentation relating to learning, behaviour and well-being outcomes. 
  • To ensure registration information is uploaded to the relevant system. 
  • To keep lateness and absence records. 
  • To produce Attendance Certificates as required  
  • To monitor students missing from education. 
  • To contribute to, and review, working practices to inform Attendance Policy and routines. 
• Co-ordinate referrals to multi-agencies and where appropriate act as the lead in professional meetings. 
• Support the DSL to refer all cases of suspected abuse to the relevant Local Authority’s children’s social care and where necessary Police and other appropriate agencies. 
• Liaise with the DSL on day-to-day issues, especially ongoing enquiries under section 17 and 47 of the Children’s Act 1989 and police investigations. 
• Maintain a robust online filing system. 
• Support the DSL by organising the relevant professional meetings in schools with pupils, making sure that safeguarding procedures are followed. To support relationships and communication between children/young people, parents, family, friends and guardians. 

Duties will vary, you must expect to diversify and lend a hand wherever is required. Please see the link below for our full job description: 

Job Description – Family Support Officer   

Successful candidate qualities: 

• Full UK Driving license 
• GCSE Maths and English qualification minimum Grade 4 or equivalent is essential. 
• A relevant professional qualification or the ability to gain L3 in working with children and young people. 
• L3 in working with children and young people is highly desirable. 
• Qualifications in psychology or social care would be desirable. 
• Knowledge and demonstrable experience of working with Children with autism/SEND. 
• Understanding of the Safeguarding principles and Child Protection  
• Experience of supporting families and/or adults 
• Knowledge of support agencies and services within the local area is desirable 
• Good appreciation and knowledge of health and safety, data protection principles and equal opportunities  

Be part of our successful team and also benefit from a generous package that includes: 

• Life assurance 
• Enhanced Pension 
• Perkbox - offering high street discounts 
• Employee assistance programme 
• Car lease scheme 
• Fully funded training and qualifications 
• Bike to work scheme 
• Free membership to our Health cash back plan - Claim back money on services such as dental, optical, physio and many more. 
• Free parking 

How to apply: 

Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details.  If you need any assistance or would like any more information, please contact Liz in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at liz.hudson@theauroragroup.co.uk  

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check. 

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children. 

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer. 

This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled.  

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.