Family Help Lead Practitioner

Stoke-on-Trent City Council; Stoke-on-Trent; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Permanent role

28 days annual leave increasing to 33

LGPS pension

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is recruiting a Family Help Lead Practitioner (Alternatively Qualified) to work with families with children aged 0-18 who have complex needs. You will undertake holistic Child's Family Assessments and coordinate a whole-family plan with Practice Leads and partner agencies.

You will deliver targeted interventions, strengthen family networks and help children thrive while navigating welfare, education and support services.

Qualifications

• Experience of providing intensive support to families with multiple or complex needs, using a child-centred, whole-family approach.
• Knowledge of child development, parenting capacity and risk and harm inside and outside the home, with experience of assessing need and responding appropriately.
• An understanding of relational practice, the Families First Programme and Working Together to Safeguard Children, alongside the ability to use evidence-based interventions to support change.
• Strong communication, listening and advocacy skills, with experience of partnership working and coordinating a Team Around the Family, including constructive challenge where needed.
• The ability to manage a caseload, prioritise according to need and risk, produce clear assessments and records, and use supervision and reflection to maintain resilient, effective practice.

Responsibilities

• Undertake holistic Child's Family Assessments with children, parents, carers and wider family networks, developing clear plans with measurable outcomes and reviewable actions.
• Lead the Team Around the Family process and coordinate timely support across agencies, ensuring children's and families' views shape assessments, plans and decisions.
• Deliver direct work and evidence-based interventions, strengthen parenting confidence and support Family Group Decision Making so families can develop their own solutions.
• Help families access practical support with welfare, budgeting, education, employment and training, and connect adults with specialist services where needed.
• Work with Practice Leads, qualified social workers and multi-agency child protection colleagues to assess risk, develop safety plans and respond to harm, retaining trusted relationships with families.
• Review progress with families and partners, provide flexible support in crisis situations, and maintain timely, accurate assessments, reports and case records.

Skills

Intensive family support

Holistic assessment

Multi-agency coordination

Child safeguarding

Education

Level 3 qualification relating to work with children and young people

Job description

Build trusted relationships that help children and families make lasting changes. As a Family Help Lead Practitioner (Alternatively Qualified), you will work alongside families with children aged 0-18 who have a range of complex needs, bringing together the right support around their strengths, relationships and goals. As part of our Families First approach, you will be a consistent contact for families, undertake holistic Child's Family Assessments and coordinate a whole-family plan that evolves as needs change. Working with Practice Leads, qualified social workers and partner agencies, you will deliver targeted interventions, strengthen family networks and help children remain safe and thrive.,

Responsibilities

• Undertake holistic Child's Family Assessments with children, parents, carers and wider family networks, developing clear plans with measurable outcomes and reviewable actions.
• Lead the Team Around the Family process and coordinate timely support across agencies, ensuring children's and families' views shape assessments, plans and decisions.
• Deliver direct work and evidence-based interventions, strengthen parenting confidence and support Family Group Decision Making so families can develop their own solutions.
• Help families access practical support with welfare, budgeting, education, employment and training, and connect adults with specialist services where needed.
• Work with Practice Leads, qualified social workers and multi-agency child protection colleagues to assess risk, develop safety plans and respond to harm, retaining trusted relationships with families.
• Review progress with families and partners, provide flexible support in crisis situations, and maintain timely, accurate assessments, reports and case records.

Why Join Us?

• Build meaningful relationships with children and families and support changes that matter in their everyday lives.
• Bring your relevant qualification and family support experience to a lead practitioner role, supported by qualified social workers and Practice Leads.
• Help shape the Families First approach through joined-up support, family networks and reflective, relational practice.,

Employment Conditions

• Any offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of required pre-employment checks. These may include:
• Right to Work in the UK.
• Proof of address.
• Satisfactory references.
• Occupational Health clearance.
• Evidence of relevant professional qualifications or registrations.
• A DBS check at the appropriate level.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's diverse and talented workforce is its greatest asset. The skills, knowledge and experience of our employees are essential to delivering our ambitions for the organisation and the city. We want to be an employer people are proud to work for, where staff are supported, developed and rewarded in an inclusive way that helps them excel and deliver the high-quality services our residents need., We are growing and developing our Children and Families workforce as part of an ambitious programme of service transformation. We are looking for talented, committed and values-led professionals to join us., A relevant Level 3 qualification in a subject relating to work with children and young people.

Experience & Skills

• Experience of providing intensive support to families with multiple or complex needs, using a child-centred, whole-family approach.
• Knowledge of child development, parenting capacity and risk and harm inside and outside the home, with experience of assessing need and responding appropriately.
• An understanding of relational practice, the Families First Programme and Working Together to Safeguard Children, alongside the ability to use evidence-based interventions to support change.
• Strong communication, listening and advocacy skills, with experience of partnership working and coordinating a Team Around the Family, including constructive challenge where needed.
• The ability to manage a caseload, prioritise according to need and risk, produce clear assessments and records, and use supervision and reflection to maintain resilient, effective practice.

We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. Working for Stoke-on-Trent City Council is more than just a job; it is about making, protecting and improving services for local people, reducing inequalities and improving independence for those who live and work in the city. That is where you come in. We are looking for people of the highest calibre, with the skills, knowledge and experience to help us deliver our compelling vision.

Benefits

• A permanent role at Level 8.
• 28 days' annual leave rising to 33 days after five years' continuous service, plus eight public/bank holidays.
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Opportunities for professional development, learning and management development.

When you work for Stoke-on-Trent City Council you'll be helping to improve the lives and wellbeing of our residents. We'll provide you with support, learning opportunities and flexible working options and some amazing benefits including; a competitive salary, generous holidays, an excellent defined local authority benefit pension scheme, annual leave purchase scheme, cycle to work schemes just to name a few. We also have access to lifestyle benefits which offer a wide range of discounts such as family days out, travel, retail and many more.

Our commitment to you Vibrancy and diversity are two of Stoke-on-Trent's greatest assets. A city founded on creative endeavour should value and celebrate the multitude of voices, ideas and identities that shape its culture. We are committed to creating a culture which is truly inclusive, where all staff feel valued, listened to, supported and able to do their work to the best of their abilities at all times. And we must ensure that our decisions and policies nurture and empower communities across our city and do not inadvertently disadvantage groups and individuals that we want to help to thrive. Our approach to Equality and Diversity is an invitation to all our communities to work with and for us so we can continue to improve how we deliver services residents need. Our employee networks are inclusive, open forums for colleagues with similar lived experiences. They allow staff to meet, support and mentor each other, alongside being a voice for under-represented groups to advise and support the organisation when developing policies and services.