Family Solutions Practitioner

Telford and Wrekin Council; Shrewsbury; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-call allowance (£25 per day)

Flexible and hybrid working

Learning and development opportunities

Free parking

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Telford & Wrekin Council is recruiting two dedicated Family Solutions Practitioners to join our Family Solutions Service. You will work directly with children, young people and families, delivering intensive, timely interventions in home and community settings to keep children safely within their networks.

We offer on-call weekend payments of £25 per day, flexible and hybrid working, generous learning and development opportunities, and a supportive team working to improve outcomes for vulnerable

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, young people and families.
• Ability to build trusting relationships and communicate effectively.
• Experience safeguarding vulnerable children.
• Ability to manage complex cases and competing demands.
• Creative, persistent problem-solving in challenging settings.
• Ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver intensive and outcome-focused support to children, young people and families.
• Support children to remain safely within their family and community networks.
• 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.

Skills

Relationship-building

Communication

Safeguarding

Creativity

Time management

Independent worker

Teamwork

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Telford

Children's Safeguarding & Family Support

Job Introduction

Family Solutions Practitioner

Scale 6 | 37 Hours Per Week
2 Posts Available
Core Working Hours: 12:00pm to 8:00pm Monday to Friday

Additional Benefits

• Additional payment for all hours worked whilst on call
• 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

We are seeking two passionate and highly motivated Family Solutions Practitioners to join our Family Solutions Service.

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.
• Families requiring intensive support to prevent escalation and achieve sustainable change.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will deliver evidence-based interventions within families' homes and local communities, building resilience, strengthening relationships and improving outcomes for children and young people. [1280 Famil...olns Pract | Word]

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.

What We're Looking For

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.

Why Join Telford & Wrekin?

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.

We are ambitious for children, ambitious for families and ambitious for our workforce.

What We Offer

We value our employees and offer:

• £25 per day weekend on-call payment plus payment for hours worked.
• 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.

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.

Roles involving children or vulnerable adults will require a criminal records check. It is an offence to apply if you are barred from working with these groups.

Please note: We do not hold a sponsorship licence for visas.