Senior Family Help Practitioner

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

29 days annual leave (pro rata)

LGPS pension

Flexible working options

Job summary

Suffolk County Council is seeking a Senior Family Help Practitioner in Ipswich on a permanent contract. You will hold a more complex caseload, act as lead professional for allocated families, and drive high-quality practice across the team.

You will work within Family Help to support children, young people and families with complex needs, developing leadership, multi-agency collaboration and solution‑focused approaches.

Qualifications

• Level 5 qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience in a relevant area of work.
• Experience of direct work with children, young people and families.
• Experience of safeguarding concerns and applying solutions-focused approaches.

Responsibilities

• Lead Professional for allocated children and families, coordinating support and interventions to improve outcomes.
• Undertake Family Help Assessments and contribute to Child in Need and Child Protection planning.
• Hold a complex caseload, manage risk and support families to make sustainable improvements.
• Build strong working relationships with children, families, carers and partner agencies.
• Chair multi-agency meetings and family network meetings to review progress and coordinate plans.
• Use Signs of Safety and Wellbeing principles to support strengths-based, solution-focused practice.
• Provide advice, guidance and role-modelling to colleagues to drive continuous improvement.
• Support peer supervision, mentoring and learning activities to strengthen practice.

Skills

Lead Professional

Working with Children & Families

Solution‑focused practice

Risk assessment

Multi‑agency collaboration

Driving licence

Education

Level 5 qualification or equivalent

Job description

• Suffolk County Council


• Address: Ipswich IP1 2BX / Felixstowe IP11 2JB / Lowestoft NR33 0EQ - Hybrid


• Salary: £34,434 per annum (pro rata for part time)


• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available


• Contract: Permanent

Reimagine the possibilities

Are you an experienced practitioner looking for your next step in Children and Young People's Services?

This is an exciting opportunity for practitioners who are passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children and families and are ready to take on greater responsibility within Family Help.

As a Senior Family Help Practitioner, you'll play a key role in supporting children, young people and families experiencing complex needs. You'll hold a more complex caseload, act as lead professional for allocated families, support colleagues through advice and guidance, and help drive high-quality practice across the team.

This role provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your practice, leadership and multi-agency working skills while making a meaningful difference to children and families across Suffolk.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Senior Family Help Practitioner, you will:

• act as Lead Professional for allocated children and families, coordinating support and interventions to improve outcomes


• undertake Family Help Assessments and contribute to Child in Need and Child Protection planning where appropriate


• hold a complex caseload, managing risk and supporting families to make sustainable improvements in their lives


• build strong working relationships with children, families, carers and partner agencies


• chair multi-agency meetings and family network meetings to review progress and coordinate plans


• use Suffolk Signs of Safety and Wellbeing principles to support strengths-based, solution-focused practice


• provide advice, guidance and role-modelling to colleagues, supporting continuous improvement across the team


• support peer supervision, mentoring and learning activities to strengthen practice.

About the team

At Suffolk County Council, we aspire for every child in Suffolk to live their best life. The Children and Young People's Directorate continues to improve and develop services that deliver sustainable change for children, young people and their families.

Family Help Teams are multi-disciplinary teams made up of social workers and alternatively qualified practitioners, supported by two Team Managers. They undertake assessments and planning for children receiving Targeted Early Help, Child in Need and Child Protection services and support children when they first enter care.

This is a supportive and collaborative service that values professional development, high-quality practice and continuous learning.

What you will need

We're looking for someone who is ready to build on their existing experience and take the next step in their professional journey.

Ideally you will have:

• a Level 5 qualification, or equivalent knowledge and experience in a relevant area of work


• experience of direct work with children, young people and families


• experience of supporting families where safeguarding concerns exist


• knowledge of solution-focused approaches, including Signs of Safety


• the ability to assess risk, manage complex situations and support positive change for families


• confidence in building relationships, influencing others and working collaboratively with a range of professionals and agencies


• strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workload effectively


• due to the nature of this role, you will be required to have a driving licence and access to personal transport. If you feel you can meet these travel requirements through other suitable means, please contact the Hiring Manager before applying to discuss.

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don't meet every requirement, we would love to hear from you.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Steve Blaney, for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01502674649 or emailing [e-mail]

Closing date: 11.30pm, 14 September 2026.

Interview date: 22 and 23 September 2026.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days


• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)


• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits


• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase


• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge


• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation


• diverse and active staff networks


• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).