Family Counselor

JES Rijnland is looking for a Family Counselor (24–36 hours)

Every child has the right to develop. That is JES Rijnland’s mission. JES strives to promote equal opportunities by offering preventive, supplementary, and enrichment programs for children, young people, and their parents.

For the new position of Family Counselor, we are hiring social workers to serve as a connecting link between schools, homes, and the neighborhood. The goal is to increase parental involvement and support children’s development. Are you that enthusiastic bridge-builder between preschool, family, and the neighborhood? And do you enjoy and value working with parents to make a difference for families? Then this job opening is perfect for you!

What will you be doing?

The Family Counselor acts as a bridge-builder, establishing contact with families at the request of schools or other organizations in order to (re)connect parents. In this way, the Family Counselor builds a bridge between home, school, and the neighborhood, so that children can develop to their full potential. This involves families who have difficulty reaching out to schools and agencies on their own or have lost trust in them. By being present at school and in the schoolyard, you become a familiar face to parents. You get to know these families, using the GIZ methodology, among other approaches. If necessary, you will connect them to (preventive) assistance and support from JES or other organizations and agencies in the neighborhood and municipality. For this role, it is important that you can accurately assess, with a professional attitude, what is needed to provide opportunities for the entire family. Sometimes this requires a hands-on approach, while other times it requires maintaining distance and creating space for others.

You will also be assigned to the “Learning Together” home program, where you will coach parents on how to encourage and guide their children in the early grades of elementary school.

Who are you?

• You have at least a college-level education and way of thinking, as well as knowledge of pedagogy and parent engagement;
• You have several years of experience working with families from diverse cultural backgrounds;
• You are flexible and confident;
• You have an open personality that makes it easy and enjoyable for people to connect with you;
• You have excellent communication and motivational skills;
• You have experience working with schools, youth services, and other organizations, and are skilled at coordinating between them;
• You are independent and enterprising;
• You see opportunities and possibilities for prevention, innovation, and development, and you take the initiative to pursue and explore them;
• You speak and write Dutch well and, preferably, also speak another language, such as Arabic or Tigrinya;
• Practical experience is a plus for this position;
• It would be helpful if you live in the Leiden or Katwijk area.

We offer you

• A temporary appointment with the intention of a longer-term commitment;
• Salary scale in accordance with the Social Work Collective Bargaining Agreement, scale 7–8 depending on knowledge and experience;
• A growing, diverse organization with an idealistic team that operates on the basis of expertise, connection, and trust;
• Meaningful work you can be proud of;
• Flexible holidays, flexible working hours, and the freedom to shape your own job;
• Plenty of opportunities for professional growth;
• A dynamic work environment that is constantly evolving and where we embrace innovation;
• A cell phone and a laptop;
• A beautiful workplace at the Children's Rights House in the heart of Leiden;
• About 25 friendly, enthusiastic colleagues, a dozen interns, and 250 volunteers who, together with you, want to make a difference for children, young people, and their parents—and are fully committed to doing so!

Who are we?

Every child has the right to develop. That is the mission of the Rijnland Youth and Society Foundation (JES).

JES operates on the belief that children and young people have an equal right to opportunities, both in education and in society. A lack of financial resources, your parents’ limited level of education, or the neighborhood in which you grow up should not determine your future prospects. JES strives to expand opportunities for children from these backgrounds through supportive, supplementary, and enriching programs for children and young people ages 0–18 and their parents.

Interested?

Would you like more information about JES Rijnland and the position? Please visit www.jesrijnland.nl or contact Jolanda Borst at 06 814 341 34 or Carolien de Groot at 06 286 894 46.

There are two ways to apply for this position: by submitting a cover letter of no more than one A4 page, or by sending a personal video with a brief pitch explaining who you are and how you plan to make a difference for our families. Please include the video link with your resume. Applications will be accepted until March 1, 2023, via info@jesrijnland.nl. Interviews will take place during the week of March 13. We look forward to hearing from you!