About the job

Key information

We are a hugely ambitious council, committed to improving lives for the residents, communities and businesses of Somerset.

And that’s why we’re working so hard to build a sustainable organisation with a culture that rewards, values and recognises our staff, and gives everyone here the opportunity to grow and develop, personally and professionally.

If you’re looking for a place where you work truly matters – where YOU truly matter – we might be just right for you.

We also promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.

We are looking for enthusiastic people with a professional attitude, to work with disabled children and young people aged 0-18 across the County.

What will I be doing?

We’re working to improve the lives of children in Somerset – and as a Somerset Supporter, you’ll be a key part of that.

You will be matched with a child / young person according to your experience and availability so a regular commitment is needed.

You will assist children and young people to access the local community and leisure activities or to provide a short break within the child’s home.

The work is predominantly after school, evenings, weekends and during school holiday times. However, there may be times where you will be asked to provide emergency support at short notice. As a sessional worker, you will have the opportunity to decline work outside of your pre-arranged support hours.

You will join our growing team of Somerset Supporters across the county.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

Experience is preferred, but relevant training will be provided and you will be supported through regular supervision sessions.

As this is a customer-facing role, you’ll need to be able to speak fluent English.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer sponsorship for this role as it does not meet the necessary criteria.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

What is in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset. We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

DBS check

This post requires a criminal background check via the disclosure procedure.

Supporting documents and information

You will be required to work a minimum of 4 hours a month.

For an informal discussion about the posts please contact the appropriate Somerset Supporter Coordinator for your area:

Taunton Area – Fiona Hennessy on 07811313001

Sedgemoor Area – Tracey Searle on 07919540109

Mendip Area – Debbie Wakeman on 07811311787

South Somerset – Karrina Pittard on 07855286681

South Somerset & Mendip – Nicki Frost on 07976693273

This is a rolling advert so we anticipate offering and conducting interviews ahead of the closing date for suitable candidates. If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Apply on the Somerset Council website

Apply now