Keyworker
| Posting date: | 28 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £32,142.24 to £39,106.39 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 08 June 2026 |
| Location: | Northamptonshire, East Midlands |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Barnardo's |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 23083 |
Summary
The National Health Service Long Term Plan (LTP) includes the commitment that by 2023/24 children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both with the most complex needs will have a designated keyworker. This has come as a result of Dame Christine Lenehan's review called ‘These are our Children' following the abuse experienced at Winterbourne View by individuals with a Learning Disability.
Keyworkers work across the system with and for CYP and families, capitalising on cross-system knowledge and experience to help them effectively navigate services. They support lead professionals and work across sectors to facilitate timely and properly integrated assessment, care and support, including education, care and health services and processes.
The role of the Keyworker service is to be a system enhancer and involves being confident in challenging the system when necessary; and forming strong relationships with CYP and families. Working closely and in partnership with Enfold who provide the peer support element to the service.
The successful candidate will work alongside a team who will have been recruited from a range of professional backgrounds within education, social care, health and the third sector to establish a multi-disciplinary team.
Key Skills to be successful within the role:
Continuous Learning: Demonstrate a willingness to learn and adapt, particularly in navigating systems to assist families and young people.
Confidence with IT Systems: Proficient in using digital platforms such as word, Teams, Excel and Barnardo's Databases and tools to support service delivery and communication.
Virtual Communication: Skilled in conducting and participating in online meetings effectively.
Adaptability: Thrives in a dynamic environment where no two days are the same.
Organisational Skills: Capable of managing own calendar, ensuring effective time management and scheduling.
Caseload Management: Experienced in prioritising workload and managing multiple cases independently.
Accurate Record-Keeping: Maintains detailed and compliant records in line with organisational standards.
Safeguarding Knowledge: Strong understanding of safeguarding principles and ability to apply them in practice.
Collaborative Leadership: Encourages other professionals to be proactive, receptive to challenge, and open to change.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Benefits
Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)
Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
Service related sick pay from day 1
Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
Cycle2work scheme
Interest free season ticket loans
Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
20% discount at Barnardo's stores
Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Our basis and values
Keyworkers work across the system with and for CYP and families, capitalising on cross-system knowledge and experience to help them effectively navigate services. They support lead professionals and work across sectors to facilitate timely and properly integrated assessment, care and support, including education, care and health services and processes.
The role of the Keyworker service is to be a system enhancer and involves being confident in challenging the system when necessary; and forming strong relationships with CYP and families. Working closely and in partnership with Enfold who provide the peer support element to the service.
The successful candidate will work alongside a team who will have been recruited from a range of professional backgrounds within education, social care, health and the third sector to establish a multi-disciplinary team.
Key Skills to be successful within the role:
Continuous Learning: Demonstrate a willingness to learn and adapt, particularly in navigating systems to assist families and young people.
Confidence with IT Systems: Proficient in using digital platforms such as word, Teams, Excel and Barnardo's Databases and tools to support service delivery and communication.
Virtual Communication: Skilled in conducting and participating in online meetings effectively.
Adaptability: Thrives in a dynamic environment where no two days are the same.
Organisational Skills: Capable of managing own calendar, ensuring effective time management and scheduling.
Caseload Management: Experienced in prioritising workload and managing multiple cases independently.
Accurate Record-Keeping: Maintains detailed and compliant records in line with organisational standards.
Safeguarding Knowledge: Strong understanding of safeguarding principles and ability to apply them in practice.
Collaborative Leadership: Encourages other professionals to be proactive, receptive to challenge, and open to change.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Benefits
Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)
Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
Service related sick pay from day 1
Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
Cycle2work scheme
Interest free season ticket loans
Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
20% discount at Barnardo's stores
Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Our basis and values
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.