STEP SENIOR PRACTITIONER

Knowsley Council; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours

Hybrid working

Job summary

Knowsley Council is recruiting for a STEP Senior Practitioner to join the Prevention Service. The role focuses on delivering preventative interventions for children and families, under the STEP team, with line management support from the Prevention Team Manager.

The Senior Practitioner will promote child-first, trauma-informed practice, support partnership working, and contribute to reducing antisocial behaviour and exploitation among vulnerable youths.

Qualifications

• A nationally recognised professional qualification relevant to the service (e.g., Social Work, Probation, Health, Youth & Community) or equivalent experience.
• If Social Work qualified, registration with Social Work England is required.

Responsibilities

• Support the Prevention Team Manager in delivering preventative interventions to children and families.
• Promote a trauma-informed, child-first approach and maintain trusted relationships.
• Lead with passion and creativity to drive outcomes for service users.

Education

Social Work qualification (and/or related professional qualification)

Job description

STEP Senior Practitioner

• Employer: Knowsley Council
• Salary: £45,091 - £46,142 per annum
• Location: Nutgrove Villa, Westmorland Road, Huyton , Knowsley , L36 6GA, Hybrid Working
• Contract: Permanent
• Working Pattern: Full Time
• Hours: 36 hours per week. Consideration will be given for part time working.
• DBS Check: Enhanced
• Closing Date: 21/06/2026 at 23:59
• Reference: SVP 0622

This is a brilliant opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families in Knowsley.

Is this you?

• Believes deeply in giving children the best possible chance to thrive
• Can inspire and support a committed, skilled, and energetic team
• Brings strong partnership working skills
• Is motivated to drive Knowsley’s prevention and early help offer forward
• Has the confidence to innovate and champion child centred and trauma informed practice

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of Knowsley’s Prevention Service - STEP. The team sits under the direction of the Youth Justice Service but is very much a partnership approach to tackling anti-social behaviour, crime and exploitation. We would like to hear from you if you are creative, resourceful, supportive, and have a genuine desire to positively shape the futures of children. We are specifically looking for someone who is committed, dedicated, with experience of influencing services for children.

Knowsley Council is an award-winning Local Authority, named Local Authority of the Year in the Municipal Journal Awards 2024.

We are an Accredited employer under the Liverpool City Region Fair Employment Charter, demonstrating that we are committed to the principle of fair employment and we are dedicated to providing a healthy, fair, inclusive and just workplace.

Come join us and be part of our success.

The Team:

The STEP Team (Support, Together, Empower, Prevention) works with children at the earliest stages of need, supporting those on the edge of criminality or exploitation and helping them stay safe, connected, and on a positive path. The team’s impact is hugely valued across Children’s Services, and we’re now seeking a Senior Practitioner who can support the Team Manager to lead with passion, creativity, and a relentless focus on improving outcomes for children.

The mission of the team is to provide a child first, trauma informed and relationship-based service to reduce anti-social behaviour, children entering the criminal justice system, and children becoming exploited. The service will support vulnerable children, some who have been impacted by adverse childhood experiences, those who are most excluded, so above all, you will need to have the drive, passion, and commitment to making a difference for these children. As the Senior Practitioner, you will ensure that all work is underpinned by the ‘Child First’ approach, driving this vision forward with the service.

The role:

Under the line management of the Prevention Team Manager, the Senior Practitioner will support the work of the prevention service, ensuring the highest standards of practice are maintained in the delivery of preventative interventions to children and their families in Knowsley. The Senior Practitioner will support the therapeutic approach within the team and maintain and adhere to the Trusted Relationship model approach

Qualifications:

• A nationally recognised professional qualification relevant to the service that includes accredited knowledge of children’s development, family dynamics and casework models of intervention, risk management (e.g. Social Work, Probation, Health, Youth & Community, Teaching) or equivalent experience
• If Social Work qualified, registration with Social Work England.

At Knowsley Council we will consider requests for flexible working. For most roles, the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, working from home, compressed hours, part-time. There is a requirement for you to attend your work base at least 2 day’s per week.

We welcome applications from residents and beyond, regardless of background, belief, or identity, recognising the value that diversity brings to our organisation.

We particularly welcome applications from individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and candidates with disabilities as we acknowledge their underrepresentation in our workforce.

Please note sponsorship is not available for this role.

See the benefits of working for Knowsley MBC https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/yes.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applicants.

At Knowsley we value our applicants and want them to feel well-informed and welcomed. If you have any questions about this specific job role or what it is like to work at Knowsley,

Closing Date: 21.06.2026