Senior Early Help Practitioner

WSCC; Horsham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 46,000; Part time

Job summary

WSCC is seeking an Early Help Practitioner based in Horsham to join their team focused on supporting families and children. This part-time position emphasizes collaborative efforts with multi-agency partners to ensure child welfare and effective service delivery. The ideal candidate will bring valuable experience, analytical skills, and a strong commitment to child development and safety.

Qualifications

• Significant experience working with children and families.
• Understanding of current legislation and policy.
• Experience in a multi-agency context.

Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with multi-agency teams to make decisions for children's support.
• Communicate effectively to share complex information and ensure child-focused decision making.
• Conduct direct work to assess needs and implement effective plans.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Communication Skills

Creative & Innovative Thinking

Leadership Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Degree in a relevant profession or equivalent qualification

Completion of relevant post qualifying training

Job description

About Us

At West Sussex County Council, Early Help are ambitious for our children and our workforce. We are committed to supporting children, families, and young people to achieve their full potential. You will join an experienced leadership team at a key time when we are making major transformations, including driving forward the ‘Children First’ Improvement Plan. We are focused on improved service delivery with measurable outcomes for children, families, and communities.

The Early Help Service is an integral part of the Children, Young People and Learning Directorate, working collaboratively with Social Care and Education and Skills so that all children and families are accessing the right help, co-ordinated support, and protection from the most appropriate part of Children’s Services. At every level, support is designed to address and reduce the problems or challenges and prevent them getting worse. Key to this is being able to build productive partnerships with the voluntary and community sector.

For further information about us and about working in Early Help at West Sussex please visit our website: www.westsussex.gov.uk/CSCR

The Opportunity

Salary:£42,708 to £45,718 per annum
Working Pattern: Part Time (22.2 hours)
Contract Length: Fixed Term until 30th September 2026

Location: Horsham

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position/ acting up. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

Early Help ensures that children and families receive accessible and co-ordinated support when they need it. This support ranges across a continuum from early identification and preventative approaches through to more targeted help where families are experiencing more complex or multiple difficulties. At every level, support is designed to address and reduce the problems or challenges and prevent them getting worse.

You will work in partnership with the multi-agency team, children, young people and families to make decisions to ensure children are safe and receive the most appropriate support based on their needs. You will be able to review and understand information quickly to establish the next steps for families, while considering family history, the wider context and family relationships. You will be able to communicate effectively with a range of partners and ensure complex information is shared in a consistent and concise manner, keeping children central to decision making.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

• Solution focussed with the ability to analyse varied and complex situations and provide forward thinking strategies and solutions that consider a variety of possible solutions and balance risks and desired outcomes.
• Highly developed communication skills in order to influence in a multidisciplinary team and communicate clearly and effectively to explain complex information to a wide range of people and negotiate and persuade others to adopt a particular course of action that they may not otherwise wish to take.
• Ability to diagnose, research, analyse and interpret complex or technical information to make effective and robust judgements and articulate recommendations taking into account the broader impacts on families and partners.
• Ability to think creatively, innovatively and laterally and to adapt to changing situations in a measured and flexible manner in order to adapt advice.
• Ability to undertake direct work with those who access or need the service in order to support individuals and work proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate assessment of needs and negotiate and implement effective plans and outcomes.
• Ability to effectively lead and supervise others and to provide coaching and mentoring when appropriate.

Qualifications and experience:

• Degree in a relevant profession or equivalent qualification.
• Completion of relevant post qualifying training.
• Significant experience working with children and families, with an understanding of current legislation and policy.
• Experience of working in multi-agency context, with an understanding of roles and responsibilities while maintaining a child focussed approach.
• Significant experience and understanding of the continuum of need and the ability to apply this knowledge in ensuring safeguarding children is a priority.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and age-appropriate behaviour.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05827.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Rachel Tandy at [e-mail] for issues or queries regarding your application please contact [e-mail].

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and cover letter. In your cover letter outline your motivations for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check. Being able to drive a car is essential due to it being a countywide service and children we care for potentially being placed out of county.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability, Care Leaver’s or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.

Job Reference: CAFHE05827