Family Solutions Practitioner

Telford & Wrekin Council; Dawley; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible and hybrid working

Generous annual leave entitlement

Free parking

Training and development opportunities

Career progression within an Available

Nuplace rental priority

Job summary

Telford & Wrekin Council is seeking two Family Solutions Practitioners to deliver intensive, outcome-focused support to children, young people and families. You will help ensure children remain safely within their family and community networks, and work with those facing care entry risk or placement disruption.

Role involves safeguarding, building trusted relationships, and collaborating with Children’s Social Care and partner agencies to prevent escalation and support sustainable change.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering targeted interventions with children and families.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with service users and partners.
• Safeguarding experience and working with vulnerable children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Deliver intensive and outcome-focused support to children, young people and families.
• Help keep children safely within their family and community networks.
• Work with families experiencing care entry risk, placement disruption or family breakdown.
• Support reunification from foster care and residential settings.
• Complete strengths-based assessments and develop evidence-based plans.
• Deliver practical interventions to improve wellbeing, education, health and family relationships.
• Collaborate with Children's Social Care, Early Help and partner agencies.
• Maintain high-quality case recording and outcome-focused practice.

Skills

Relationship-building

Communication

Analytical thinking

Collaboration

Education

Social Work degree

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to work directly with children, young people and families, delivering targeted, intensive and timely interventions that help children remain safely within their family networks wherever possible and reduce the need for statutory intervention and Local Authority care. You will work with:

• Children at risk of entering care.
• Children and young people returning home from foster care or residential care.
• Families experiencing significant challenges and family breakdown.
• Young people at risk of homelessness.
• Children requiring placement stability.
• Families requiring intensive support to prevent escalation and achieve sustainable change.

A Different Way of Working

This role has been specifically designed around the times when children and families often need support most. Core working hours are 12:00pm to 8:00pm Monday to Friday. Alongside the evening working pattern, you will participate in a planned weekend on-call rota, receiving:

• £25 per day on-call allowance.
• Additional payment for any time worked whilst on call.

This approach reflects our commitment to providing support when children and families need it most and enables practitioners to intervene early, prevent crises escalating and support families to find solutions together.

What You Will Be Doing As a Family Solutions Practitioner you will:

• Deliver intensive and outcome-focused support to children, young people and families.
• Support children to remain safely within their family and community networks wherever possible.
• Work with families experiencing care entry risk, placement disruption or family breakdown.
• Support reunification home from foster care and residential settings.
• Complete strengths-based assessments and develop evidence-based support plans.
• Deliver practical interventions to improve emotional wellbeing, education, health and family relationships.
• Work collaboratively with Children's Social Care, Early Help and partner agencies.
• Promote safeguarding and ensure children remain at the centre of all planning and intervention.
• Build on family strengths, community resources and support networks.
• Maintain high-quality case recording and outcome-focused practice.

We are seeking two passionate and highly motivated Family Solutions Practitioners to join our Family Solutions Service. We are looking for people who:

• Have experience working directly with children, young people and families.
• Are skilled at building trusting and effective relationships.
• Can work creatively and persistently to help families overcome challenges.
• Have experience of safeguarding and working with vulnerable children and young people.
• Can manage complex situations and competing demands.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and partnership-working skills.
• Can work independently while contributing positively to a wider team.
• Are passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children and families.
• Share our commitment to relationship-based, strengths-focused and child-centred practice.

We believe great services start with great people and that means building a workforce that reflects our community. At Telford & Wrekin Council, everyone belongs and every voice matters.

We're proud to be the LGC Local Authority of the Year 2025 - and it's all thanks to our incredible people. At Telford & Wrekin Council, we don't just deliver services - we protect, care, and invest in our borough. Our teams are trusted, supported, and empowered to make a real impact.

• £25 per day Weekend On-Call Payment
• Additional payment for all hours worked whilst on call
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible and mobile working arrangements
• Excellent learning and development opportunities

Do you aspire to work for an Outstanding Local Authority? And can you peel back the layers? Children and young people are at the heart of all we do. When we asked children and young people what matters most, they told us they want professionals who:

• Understand that there are layers to every person and see the whole child and family.
• Demonstrate care, kindness and compassion.
• Really listen to their views, hopes, aspirations and worries.
• Communicate honestly, openly and effectively.

At Telford & Wrekin, we believe children are best cared for within their families and support networks wherever it is safe to do so. This belief underpins our Family First approach and drives our ambition to support more children to remain safely at home, return home from care where appropriate and maintain strong relationships with the people who matter most to them. There has never been a more exciting time to join our service as we continue to develop innovative approaches that strengthen families, prevent unnecessary care admissions and improve outcomes for children and young people. This role sits at the heart of that ambition, providing intensive support to children and families who need us most.

About the Role, Here at Telford & Wrekin Council, we have been judged Outstanding by Ofsted for the second consecutive inspection and remain the only local authority in the West Midlands to hold this judgement.

Ofsted recognised that:

• Children and families continue to experience exceptional practice.
• Participation is a genuine strength and children's voices influence service development.
• Professionals know their children well and develop meaningful relationships.
• Corporate parenting is a strength.
• Care leavers benefit from an extensive local offer.
• The stability of our experienced workforce benefits children and families.
• Staff enjoy working in an environment where leaders are visible and people feel valued.

What We Offer

We value our employees and offer:

• Competitive salary.
• £25 per day weekend on-call payment plus payment for hours worked.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Free parking.
• Employee Assistance Programme and counselling services.
• Staff discounts and salary sacrifice schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Extensive training and development opportunities.
• Career progression opportunities within an Outstanding Children's Service.
• Priority access to Nuplace rental properties.

A friendly, inclusive and dynamic workplace, competitive pay, generous benefits, flexible working and great development opportunities. A culture that celebrates diversity and champions inclusion. If you're passionate about making a difference, we'd love to hear from you.