Senior Family Solutions Practitioner

Telford and Wrekin Council; Shrewsbury; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

£25 per day weekend on-call payment

Flexible and hybrid working

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

Telford & Wrekin Council is seeking a Senior Family Solutions Practitioner to lead and shape our Family Solutions Service, guiding practice and providing professional consultation to frontline teams. The role focuses on safeguarding, risk reduction and outcomes for children, with leadership across partners to support families in crisis.

The post emphasises a family-centred, strengths-based approach, operational leadership, and a commitment to innovative practice in a busy Children’s Services

Qualifications

• Significant experience working with children, young people and families with complex challenges.
• Safeguarding experience and multi-agency collaboration.
• Strong communication and decision-making skills required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and promote high-quality Family Solutions practice.
• Support practitioners to deliver effective, strengths-based interventions.
• Provide consultation and professional guidance across Children’s Services and partner agencies.
• Contribute to multi-agency planning and safeguarding decision making.
• Respond to complex family crises and provide operational leadership.
• Support children to remain safely within their family and community networks wherever possible.
• Promote reunification and family-led solutions.
• Champion systemic and relationship-based practice.
• Support quality assurance and continuous improvement activity.

Skills

Complex safeguarding

Multi-agency working

Communication

Decision making

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Telford

Children's Safeguarding & Family Support

Job Introduction

Senior Family Solutions Practitioner

Core Working Hours: 12:00pm to 8:00pm Monday to Friday

Additional Benefits

• Additional payment for all hours worked whilst on call
• Flexible and mobile working arrangements
• Excellent learning and development opportunities

Do you aspire to work for an Outstanding Local Authority?

And can you peel back the layers?

Children and young people are at the heart of all we do.

When we asked children and young people what matters most, they told us they want professionals who:

• Understand that there are layers to every person and see the whole child and family.
• Demonstrate care, kindness and compassion.
• Really listen to their views, hopes, aspirations and worries.
• Communicate honestly, openly and effectively.

At Telford & Wrekin, we believe children are best cared for within their families and support networks wherever it is safe to do so. This belief underpins our Family First approach and drives our ambition to support more children to remain safely at home, return home from care where appropriate and maintain strong relationships with the people who matter most to them.

There has never been a more exciting time to join our service as we continue to develop innovative approaches that strengthen families, prevent unnecessary care admissions and improve outcomes for children and young people.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Senior Family Solutions Practitioner to help lead and shape our Family Solutions Service.

This is a unique opportunity to take a leading role in supporting children, young people and families during times of crisis and significant change. You will provide practice leadership, professional consultation and operational oversight while working alongside families to help prevent family breakdown, reduce risk and improve outcomes.

You will play a vital role in supporting:

• Children at risk of entering care.
• Young people on the edge of care.
• Reunification home from residential and foster care placements.
• Stability within vulnerable family arrangements.
• Multi-agency plans that safely reduce risk and strengthen family resilience.

The role combines professional leadership with direct work and offers the opportunity to influence service development across one of the most innovative areas of our Children's Services.

A Different Way of Working

This role has been specifically designed around the times when children and families often need support most.

Core working hours are 12:00pm to 8:00pm Monday to Friday.

Alongside the evening working pattern, you will participate in a planned weekend on-call rota, receiving:

• £25 per day on-call allowance.
• Additional payment for any time worked whilst on call.

This arrangement ensures children, young people and families can access timely support during evenings and weekends when family difficulties can elevate and decisions often need to be made quickly.

For the right candidate, this offers a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference while working flexibly within a service committed to innovation and family-focused practice.

What You Will Be Doing

As a Senior Family Solutions Practitioner you will:

• Lead and promote high-quality Family Solutions practice.
• Support practitioners to deliver effective, strengths-based interventions.
• Provide consultation and professional guidance across Children's Services and partner agencies.
• Contribute to multi-agency planning and safeguarding decision making.
• Respond to complex family crises and provide operational leadership.
• Support children to remain safely within their family and community networks wherever possible.
• Promote reunification and family-led solutions.
• Champion systemic and relationship-based practice.
• Support quality assurance and continuous improvement activity.
• Contribute to our ongoing journey of excellence.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience working with children, young people and families experiencing complex challenges.
• Can build positive and trusting relationships with families during times of crisis.
• Has experience of safeguarding and multi-agency working.
• Can provide professional support, challenge and guidance to others.
• Demonstrates excellent communication and decision-making skills.
• Is passionate about helping families stay together safely wherever possible.
• Can work confidently and effectively within a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Shares our commitment to child-centred, strengths-based practice.

Why Join Telford & Wrekin?

Here at Telford & Wrekin Council, we have been judged Outstanding by Ofsted for the second consecutive inspection and remain the only local authority in the West Midlands to hold this judgement.

Ofsted recognised that:

• Children and families continue to experience exceptional practice.
• Participation is a genuine strength and children's voices influence service development.
• Professionals know their children well and develop meaningful relationships.
• Corporate parenting is a strength.
• Care leavers benefit from an extensive local offer.
• The stability of our experienced workforce benefits children and families.
• Staff enjoy working in an environment where leaders are visible and people feel valued.

We are ambitious for children, ambitious for families and ambitious for our workforce.

What We Offer

We value our employees and offer:

• £25 per day weekend on-call payment plus payment for hours worked.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Free parking.
• Employee Assistance Programme and counselling services.
• Staff discounts and salary sacrifice schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Extensive training and development opportunities.
• Career progression within an Outstanding Children's Service.
• Priority access to Nuplace rental properties.

We believe great services start with great people — and that means building a workforce that reflects our community. At Telford & Wrekin Council, everyone belongs, and every voice matters.

Roles involving children or vulnerable adults will require a criminal records check. It’s an offence to apply if you’re barred from working with these groups.

Please note: We do not hold a sponsorship licence for visas.