Senior Family Help Practitioner

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 36.000 - 37.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Hybrid working

LGPS / pension

Flexible working options

Zusammenfassung

Suffolk County Council is seeking a Senior Family Help Practitioner in Ipswich. You will lead allocated families, manage a complex caseload and provide guidance to colleagues, driving high-quality practice in Family Help.

The role offers hybrid working and scope to develop leadership and multi-agency collaboration. The post requires a Level 5 qualification and proven experience with children and families, including safeguarding and risk assessment, with a driving licence essential.

Qualifikationen

• Level 5 qualification (or equivalent)
• Experience direct work with children, young people and families
• Experience of safeguarding and risk assessment
• Knowledge of solution-focused approaches (Signs of Safety)
• Ability to build relationships and influence others
• Driving licence and access to transport

Aufgaben

• 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/Child Protection planning.
• Hold a complex caseload, manage risk and support sustainable improvements.
• Build strong working relationships with children, families, carers and partner agencies.
• Chair multi-agency and family network meetings to review progress and coordinate plans.
• Apply Signs of Safety and wellbeing principles to practice.
• Provide guidance and role-modelling to colleagues and support continuous improvement across the team.
• Support peer supervision and mentoring to strengthen practice.

Kenntnisse

Lead professional

Complex caseload

Child and family work

Signs of Safety

Mentoring/peer supervision

Stakeholder engagement

Organisational skills

Ausbildung

Level 5 qualification

Relevant experience

Jobbeschreibung

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Beacon House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 5PB. Hybrid working
• Salary: £35,570 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.

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.

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.

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 either calling 01502674649 or emailing [e-mail]

Closing date

11.30 pm, 26 October 2026.

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).