Senior Family Help Practitioner - 37 Hours

Torbay Council; Torquay; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Permanent position

6-month fixed-term option

Hybrid/home working

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

Torbay Council is seeking a Senior Family Help Practitioner to join our Child in Need Additional Needs Team. You will manage a caseload of CIN children and families, undertake direct interventions, coordinate care planning with social workers to reduce statutory intervention where possible.

We value experience in health, social care or safeguarding, strong assessment and relationship-based practice, and the ability to engage effectively with families to achieve positive change.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, young people and families in a health, social care or safeguarding environment.
• Strong assessment, intervention and relationship-based practice skills.
• The ability to support and challenge families to achieve positive change.
• Excellent communication, recording and report-writing abilities.
• A commitment to safeguarding and improving outcomes for vulnerable children.

Responsibilities

• Managing Child in Need cases and delivering focused family support interventions.
• Building positive and effective relationships with children, young people and families.
• Undertaking direct work that captures and responds to children's wishes and feelings.
• Coordinating and leading Child in Need Reviews and multi-agency meetings.
• Assessing needs, identifying strengths and risks, and contributing to effective care planning.
• Working collaboratively with schools, health colleagues and partner agencies to improve outcomes for children.

Job description

Senior Family Help Practitioner - 37 Hours

Application Deadline: 27 September 2026

Department: Childrens Services

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Torbay Council

Reporting To: Team Manager

Compensation: £36,581 - £39,481 / year

Description

Are you passionate about making a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families?

Torbay Council is seeking dedicated and experienced Senior Family Help Practitioners to join our Child in Need (CIN) Additional Needs Team. These roles offer an exciting opportunity to work directly with children and families, providing targeted support and interventions that help children remain safe, thrive, and achieve positive outcomes.

As a Senior Family Help Practitioner, you will manage a caseload of Child in Need children and families, undertake direct interventions, coordinate multi‑agency support, and work alongside Social Workers to support Child Protection and care planning activity where required. The role is central to helping families create sustainable change and reducing the need for statutory intervention wherever possible.

What You'll Be Doing

• Managing Child in Need cases and delivering focused family support interventions.
• Building positive and effective relationships with children, young people and families.
• Undertaking direct work that captures and responds to children's wishes and feelings.
• Coordinating and leading Child in Need Reviews and multi‑agency meetings.
• Assessing needs, identifying strengths and risks, and contributing to effective care planning.
• Working collaboratively with schools, health colleagues and partner agencies to improve outcomes for children.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for motivated practitioners who have:

• Experience working with children, young people and families in a health, social care or safeguarding environment.
• Strong assessment, intervention and relationship‑based practice skills.
• The ability to support and challenge families to achieve positive change.
• Excellent communication, recording and report‑writing abilities.
• A commitment to safeguarding and improving outcomes for vulnerable children.

Why Join Torbay?

At Torbay Council, we're committed to creating the best possible outcomes for children and families while supporting our workforce to thrive.

We offer:

• Opportunities for both permanent and 6-month fixed‑term employment.
• Hybrid and home working arrangements.
• A supportive management structure with regular supervision.
• Ongoing learning and professional development opportunities.
• The opportunity to make a genuine difference to children and families across Torbay.

About the Team

Our Child in Need Additional Needs Team works with children and families who require targeted interventions and coordinated multi‑agency support. We pride ourselves on relationship‑based practice, collaborative working and keeping children at the heart of everything we do.

This post will be carrying out Regulated Activity. As such the post will require an Enhanced Criminal Record Check plus an additional Barred List Check. The check will reveal any spent and unspent convictions and adult cautions (which have not been filtered), any local Police information and a check of either the Adult, Child or Adult and Child Barred Lists.

Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 5th October 2026.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

At times there is a need to close our adverts earlier than the date specified, however this advert will not close before 18th September.

Skills

Essential:

• Ability to carry out assessments, plan and deliver needs-based packages of support, balancing risk and protective factors.
• Ability to produce and maintain accurate records and reports.
• Ability to engage positively with children, young people and their parents.
• Ability to exercise individual judgement and consult where and when appropriate.
• Effective communication/interpersonal skills.

This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Knowledge

Essential:

• Understanding of basic human needs, physical, emotional and social.
• Knowledge of Social Care legislation, policies and procedures. Knowledge of issues facing families at risk of family breakdown.
• Knowledge of assessment frameworks.
• Understanding of the full range of activities delivered by the Authority and partners in relation to children, young people and families.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential:

• Level 3 qualification working with Children and Families or significant demonstrable experience.
• GCSE pass in English at Grade C or above or equivalent.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Considerable experience working as a community care worker in a health or social care environment with children and young people.
• Experience of working with children, young people and families displaying challenging behaviour or with complex needs/vulnerabilities.