Team Leader - Family Help - Fixed Term contract up to 1 Year

Portsmouth City Council; Milton; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market supplement

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council is seeking a Team Leader for Family Help to oversee a team of social workers and lead practitioners within Children and Families Services. The role focuses on early help and Child in Need, delivering integrated support, safeguarding, and outcome-focused work.

The post is a fixed-term contract up to 1 year to cover maternity leave, with a 37-hour work week and an office-based arrangement at Civic Offices.

Qualifications

• Experience as a social worker with post-qualifying experience in children's services.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge and familiarity with statutory frameworks.
• Leadership skills with coaching and mentoring ability.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership to a team of social workers and Lead Practitioners.
• Ensure timely, proportionate and high-quality support in line with statutory requirements.
• Lead risk assessment, threshold decisions, care planning and case progression.

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Civic Offices

Team Leader - Family Help - Fixed Term contract up to 1 Year

Job Reference pcc/TP/659/1896

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Fixed Term

Salary: Band 12, £54,142 - £58,632 per annum, plus a recruitment and retention package of up to £2,500 market supplement to be paid monthly.

Working Hours:

37

Location:

Civic Offices

Closing Date:

08/11/2026

Job Category:

Social Care Children

Region / Division:

UK Region

Directorate:

Job Introduction

This is an exciting opportunity to join Portsmouth’s Children and Families Services as a Team Leader within Family Help, helping to shape and deliver an integrated approach to supporting children, young people and families.

This is a Fixed term Contract for up to 1 year to cover maternity Leave.

About the Role

Family Help brings together targeted early help and Child in Need support into a single, seamless offer, helping families receive the right support at the right time. Our approach is centred around the whole family, with a focus on family-led planning, evidence-based interventions and coordinated support that reduces duplication and helps prevent needs from escalating.

As Team Leader, you will provide operational leadership to a team of social workers and Family Help Lead Practitioners. You will ensure that children and families receive timely, proportionate and high-quality support that meets statutory requirements and promotes positive outcomes.

You will provide day-to-day leadership, reflective supervision, coaching and mentoring to practitioners, creating a positive and supportive environment where high-quality practice can thrive. You will oversee the allocation and progression of casework and provide confident leadership around risk, thresholds, care planning and decision-making.

You will play an important role in maintaining and improving practice standards, monitoring performance against KPIs and statutory timescales and supporting audits, thematic reviews and improvement activity. You will also contribute to service transformation, inspection readiness and the continued development of Portsmouth’s Family Help approach.

Partnership working will be fundamental to the role. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across education, health, police, Early Help and the voluntary sector, lead multi-agency meetings and support effective co-production with children, young people, families and carers.

The ideal candidate

You will be an experienced and qualified Social Worker, registered with a relevant professional body, with substantial post-qualifying experience within Children’s Services. You will have a strong understanding of safeguarding practice and relevant statutory frameworks, alongside knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and Family Help and early intervention principles.

You will be a confident leader who can provide reflective supervision and practice guidance while supporting colleagues through coaching and mentoring. You will be comfortable making decisions under pressure, assessing and managing risk and working effectively within complex, multi-agency environments.

We are looking for someone who can model a restorative, relational and strengths-based approach, support colleagues through change and help create a positive culture in which staff feel supported to develop and families receive high-quality services. Strong communication, organisation, IT and analytical skills are also essential

Why Join Portsmouth City Council?

• Be part of a service that puts families at the centre of everything we do
• Work within a supportive, learning-focused culture
• Access excellent professional development and leadership support
• Competitive salary and market supplement
• Make a real and lasting difference to children and families in the city

Working arrangements: Expectation is that role is primarily office based

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion: If you have any questions, or would like an informal discussion about the role, please email Vicky Williams - [e-mail]

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.Learn more about our values and behaviours.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Safeguarding

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Standard/Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information.