Hidden Harm & Family Support Practitioner

The Children's Society; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

36 days annual leave

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Pension match up to 8%

Free counselling service

Volunteer days

Job summary

The Children’s Society is seeking a CHHAT Practitioner in Essex to support vulnerable young people aged 8-18 and their families. You will deliver direct interventions, co-produce safety plans, and work across multi-agency teams to meet each young person’s needs.

Based in Chelmsford with flexible location and regular travel around Essex, the role requires safeguarding experience and a relevant qualification. Band 6 salary is £29,855 with 35 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering direct interventions with vulnerable young people (8-18).
• Experience co-producing care/safety plans with young people.
• Experience working in multi-agency settings.
• Ability to travel across Essex and work in different locations.

Responsibilities

• Deliver direct interventions with vulnerable young people (8-18) both one-to-one and group work.
• Co-produce care and safety plans with young people.
• Engage in extensive partnership working in a multi-agency environment.

Skills

Direct interventions

Care planning

Partnership working

Team working

IT case management systems

Education

Diploma/degree in social work or youth work

Job description

29,855

Location

Essex - The Children's Society East of England, United Kingdom

Community Hidden Harm Awareness Team (CHHAT) Practitioner (Essex)

Permanent with funding until 31st March 2027

Band 6 £29,85535 hours

About the role:

We are looking for an experienced young people's practitioner. You will be confident in your work with young people and join our dynamic, ambitious team.

CHHAT provides a programme of targeted support services to identified, young people/young carers. The CHHAT practitioner will provide support to, and improve the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young carers. You will address a number of target areas including emotional or physical abuse, domestic violence, neglect, social exclusion and isolation, truancy and/or underachievement at school, as a consequence of a parent or other significant family member using illicit drugs, alcohol, prescription medications or parental/carer mental health issues. Our engagement with young carers covers early to high intervention needs. We also support cases of historical parental substance use, where the young carer may, or may not still be residing with their parent, but continues to be affected by the experience.

In order to be successful with this role, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have extensive experience of: -

Delivering direct interventions with vulnerable young people (8-18) on both a one to one and group work capacity.

Co-producing care and safety plans with young people that are young people led, focusing on both a relational & strength-based approach.

Extensive partnership working in a multi-agency environment to ensure that the needs and wishes of the young person are heard and acted upon.

You will work as part of a team and need to be able to work in a flexible way which includes flexing their day and work location as need indicates, including being based in the locality office in Chelmsford and working in the home environment to increase convenience and accessibility, as well as extensive travel throughout Essex to reach and meet Young People.

You will need to demonstrate that you have:

• A relevant professional qualification working with vulnerable children and families is desired e.g., Diploma/degree in social work, counselling qualification, professional youth worker or related NVQ or degree. Or Substantial relevant experience of working with vulnerable young people facing significant challenges within this sector.
• Substantial experience of working with vulnerable young people and families that are hard to reach and from diverse backgrounds on both a one-to-one basis and through group work interventions.
• Experience of supporting adolescents who are dealing with complex and sensitive issues through offering advice and advocacy.
• Experience of partnership and multi-agency working.
• Experience of working on one’s own and within a team.
• Experience of using IT based case management systems

Benefits include but not limited to:

• 36 days’ annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• We match up to 8% pension
• Free counselling service
• Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
• 2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

About us:

The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better — and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.

Closing date:

Midnight on Tuesday 25th August 2026

Interviews:

Friday 4th September 2026

The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.
In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.