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Family Support Worker Interview Questions

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7 min read

Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Family Support Worker interview questions and answers.

  1. As a Family Support Worker, what do you hope to achieve? See answer
  2. How would you handle a client that has an outburst in response to your recommendations? See answer
  3. How would you navigate an unfamiliar neighbourhood for community resources? See answer
  4. What type of clients are the most difficult for you to work with, and why? See answer
  5. Why did you choose family support work? See answer
  6. What is your strategy for crisis intervention? See answer
  7. What is your preferred style of supervision? See answer
  8. What do you see as signs of abuse? See answer
  9. Talk about a time when a client disagreed with your treatment plan. See answer
  10. What target group do you favour working with? See answer
  11. Are you willing to visit clients in their homes?
  12. What major success did you experience in your last job, and who helped with your efforts?
  13. What do you think is an important aspect of managing clients’ feelings?
  14. How do you maintain a balance between your work and personal life?
  15. How do you build a relationship with a client?
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10 Family Support Worker Interview Questions and Answers

As a Family Support Worker, what do you hope to achieve?

Family Support Workers are characteristically optimists and always working towards making a difference. This question gauges the candidate's mentality, gives you insight into their motivation and tells you what they value. What to look for in an answer:

  • Candidate's motivation for family support work
  • How the candidate plans to make a difference
  • How a family support worker impacts life

Example:

"I want to significantly improve people's lives and focus on individual and family change. That means helping people find support and direction in their lives. When I achieve my goal, those people can go out and make a positive impact on other people's lives. While I want to enhance life for families and individuals directly, I'm optimistic that my efforts yield benefits beyond those that I help."

How would you handle a client that has an outburst in response to your recommendations?

Family Support workers must communicate a variety of information and recommendations, sometimes these aren't pleasant. Your candidate needs to explain their strategy for dealing with client emotions, aggression and even possible violent reactions. What to look for in an answer:

  • Discuss a strategy for handling outbursts
  • Appropriate action to negative behaviour
  • Ability to deal with stress

Example:

"I've learned to remain calm during a client's outburst. I use my active listening skills and let the client vent their frustrations allowing me to gain a better perspective of their behaviour. I summarise and repeat back to them what they told me and ask explorative questions. Next, I restate to them that my goal is to help them and that I'm committed to working together to overcome any issues."

How would you navigate an unfamiliar neighbourhood for community resources?

Clients can often benefit from community resources in a neighbourhood that the Family Support Worker is not familiar with. The candidate should express creativity in locating resources and ensuring clients gain access. What to look for in an answer:

  • Function as an advocate
  • Candidate's ability to connect clients to resources
  • Candidate's resourcefulness in identifying social resources

Example:

"If I didn't know a region or its community resources, I would research the area and available benefits and connect with my network of people and resources. Using my findings, I would identify possible organisations that could benefit my client. I would then reach out to those organisations to gather information and learn more about their benefits and communities served."

What type of clients are the most difficult for you to work with, and why?

Family support work is stressful and rife with burnout . Some clients are more stressful to work with, and asking this question gives you insight into the candidate's ability to handle stress. What to look for in an answer:

  • Exhibit positive ways to deal with stress
  • Casting no blame or displaying negativity
  • Taking some responsibility in stressful situations

"Sometimes by the time Family Support Workers are called in, clients have given up, are frustrated and difficult to deal with. Often these feelings come from feeling unimportant and the belief that the system has failed them. With these groups of clients, it's up to me to renew their trust in the system, find ways to help them, and convince them that there are people who care. They constantly remind me to remain optimistic and approach problems and issues from various viewpoints."

Why did you choose family support work?

Asking a candidate this question allows them to express their motivation for the field, talk about themselves and reveal some additional personal background. What to look for in an answer:

  • A commitment to family social work
  • Providing specific reasons and not generalities
  • Discussing reasons other than 'because I want to help others'

Example:

"My younger brother died when I was ten and he was six of a rare cancer. Even though the pain was unbearable, I could see the help, comfort and support that hospice and social workers provided. Knowing what I was experiencing and what my family was going through, I decided to be a Family Support Worker and be an advocate for them, help others find resources and share my experiences."

What is your strategy for crisis intervention?

Conflict and crisis surround all fields of social work, and the answer to this question allows you to verify the candidate's conflict resolution skills. Their answer should also confirm that they have the same prioritisation skills that your company requires. What to look for in an answer:

  • Focus on the issue at hand
  • Active listening and empathy
  • Strategies that align with your organisation

Example:

"The first step in my strategy is to ascertain safety and call professionals in if the person is in a life-threatening situation. Next, I calm the client and help to lessen their confusion. I immediately evaluate, identify and engage helpful resources for the client. When balance has been restored, I develop an ongoing action plan."

What is your preferred style of supervision?

Your organisation is looking for Family Support Workers who will fit in with your culture. For instance, if you need workers who take instruction well, an independent decision-maker may not be a good fit. What to look for in an answer:

  • Candidate compatibility 
  • Ability to acknowledge differences in roles
  • Reasoning behind their preferred supervision style

Example:

"While I'm a good manager and decision-maker I understand that some organisations need workers to take instruction for the benefit and safety of the organisation, and to implement their mission appropriately. As an experienced Family Support Worker, I can take direction, but it's critical to me to have the support and trust of my supervisor."

What do you see as signs of abuse?

Asking this question allows you to assess the candidate's ability to identify abuse in various groups, such as children or the elderly. What to look for in an answer:

  • Giving factual answers
  • Discussing specific signs of abuse 
  • Confident and immediate responses

Example:

"The top signs of spousal abuse are repeated broken bones, black eyes and injuries that can't be seen but are felt by the abused. Abuse of the elderly tends to be bruises, scars, broken bones, drug overdoses and signs of fear in the patient. Children typically show a change in behaviour, grades and socialisation. They also exhibit unexplained physical signs such as bruises, or broken and fractured bones."

Talk about a time when a client disagreed with your treatment plan.

This question should reveal the candidate's ability to communicate, collaborate and utilise creative thinking. What to look for in an answer:

  • An orientation toward teamwork
  • Ability to influence and negotiate
  • Collaboration and communication skills

Example:

"I had a client on antidepressant medications who refused to take their medication because they didn't want to continue life as it was. I had to view the situation from their perspective to better understand their non-compliant attitude. I spoke to their feelings with empathy and compassion and gave concrete reasons why they should work with their doctor and not handle the situation themselves."

What target group do you favour working with?

The answer to this question allows you to assess the candidate's area of interest and commitment to a target client base. They should explain how they can make an impact on their chosen group. What to look for in an answer:

  • What motivates the candidate
  • Positive impact they contribute
  • Explanation of interest in certain groups

Example:

"I am committed to working with children at risk. Some children can't handle the turmoil of the changes of growing up and deal with various at-risk situations on top of that. They may feel like a failure, that nobody cares, or they've been forgotten. While risk factors increase the chances of poor outcomes, I want to help them through the challenges they face."

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