Family Hub Practitioner

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

Annual leave 27–32 days

Flexible working

Job summary

Durham County Council invites applications for three Family Hub Practitioner roles within the Early Help Service. The package includes one permanent part-time and two temporary full-time contracts, with end dates of 31 March 2027 and 31 December 2027.

We seek experienced practitioners to assess needs, deliver interventions, and signpost to other services. DBS will be required; hybrid working arrangements are available where applicable.

Qualifications

• Recent experience supporting vulnerable children, young people and families.
• Experience in group facilitation and delivering planned interventions.

Responsibilities

• Assess needs and deliver interventions one-to-one and in groups.
• Refer and signpost families to other services.
• Collaborate with midwifery, health visiting and other services.

Skills

Vulnerable children experience

Group facilitation

Intervention delivery

Education

Level 3 qualification in Children's Services

Job description

We are looking to recruit three Family Hub Practitioners to join our Early Help Service. There is one permanent part‑time position available, along with two temporary full‑time positions, with contracts ending on 31 March 2027 and 31 December 2027 respectively.

Durham County Council is on a continuous improvement journey within its Early Help Service. During the most recent Ofsted inspection, our Family Hubs were highlighted, and the Council received an overall Outstanding rating.

Best Start Family Hubs provide a universal 'front door' for families, offering a one‑stop shop for support services across social care, education, mental health and physical health, with a comprehensive Start for Life offer for parents and babies at its core.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

As a Family Hub Practitioner, you will work with children, young people and families, assessing their needs and delivering high‑quality interventions on both a one‑to‑one and group basis. You will also refer and signpost families to other services that can provide additional support.

Our Best Start Family Hubs provide a wide range of support to local communities, including parenting programmes and holiday activities. You will work alongside colleagues from midwifery, health visiting and other key services to deliver a Healthy Babies offer that meets the needs of families.

We encourage you to contact Naomi Ryan, Family Hub Team Manager on 03000 264 758 or via email at [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

The successful candidates will have recent experience of working with and supporting vulnerable children, young people and their families within home and community settings. They will also have experience of group facilitation and delivering planned interventions that lead to improved outcomes.

Applicants must hold a Level 3 qualification in a relevant Children's Services field.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for the full duties, responsibilities and essential criteria required for this role.

If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING

Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity.

Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held week commencing 23rd November 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

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