Family Support Advisor

SNAP is a multiple award-winning local charity supporting families with children aged 0 to 25 with any additional needs or disability for 30 years. They support over 4400 families in Essex, Thurrock and Southend and do so in various ways, both in person at our specialist centre in Brentwood and remotely via telephone and email.
At the heart of our work, we aim to help and empower the whole family, enabling them to meet their challenges. As a result, they have developed various services in response to the needs of local families, as seen on their website, www.snapcharity.org.
They are looking for an empathetic, compassionate person to join the team of Family Support Advisers. This role will be primarily desk-based, helping to answer incoming helpline calls and emails, providing supportive listening to parents, and providing practical advice and signposting. You will also meet with families to provide information, support, and guidance, working with the Family Partnership Model of good practice.
If cover is required, there may also be some opportunities to support the services team during the family activity sessions.

Another critical aspect of this role is to represent SNAP in the community. This will include attending school parent coffee mornings and external information events and giving short presentations about SNAP and our work to a range of audiences. Confident, articulate, and professional speaking abilities are essential. You will need to be able to travel to locations across Essex independently.
Requirements for the Family Support Advisor
o Understanding of disability and the range of common issues that can arise for families.
o Previous experience working with families or children and young people with additional needs is essential, and a good background knowledge of various conditions and disabilities is desirable.
o An understanding of SEND support in Education is also desirable.
o Ability to provide supportive, active listening with patience and empathy to prioritise and independently manage a varied workload.
o Excellent written and spoken communication skills,
o Confidence using a computer and telephone