Therapeutic Practitioner

Coventry City Council; Coventry; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Coventry City Council is seeking an experienced Therapeutic Practitioner to provide intensive, therapeutically informed support to children and families. The role focuses on stabilising family relationships and promoting positive outcomes for children aged 0–18, typically over a 6–12 week period.

You will work closely with families in home and community settings, using evidence-based models to address complex needs, while coordinating with partner agencies to safeguard and improve outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering therapeutically informed interventions in home and community settings.
• Strong understanding of child development, attachment, trauma, and safeguarding.
• Ability to assess need, manage risk and deliver targeted interventions.

Responsibilities

• Provide intensive, therapeutically informed support to children and young people 0–18 and their families, typically over 6–12 weeks.
• Engage young people and families to defuse crises and set measurable goals.
• Collaborate with other agencies to improve behaviour, relationships, confidence and wellbeing.
• Be flexible to work evenings and occasional weekends as required.

Skills

Therapeutic delivery

Risk assessment

Engaging families

Child safeguarding

Job description

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

In Coventry, we are working hard to build something special. Children and families are at the heart of everything we do, and we believe they deserve the best outcomes. Children’s Services provides a wide range of statutory and non-statutory duties, from Early Help Services through to children who are looked after.

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

At Coventry City Council, we are embarking on an incredible journey to create a brighter future for Coventry's children. As an 'Outstanding' Local Authority, we believe in pushing boundaries and delivering excellence for children and families. Our vision is clear, and our practitioners are unwavering in their commitment to putting children and families at the centre of their practice.

Edge of Care is an innovative, dynamic and creative service that has a clear aim to safely prevent and reduce the number of children and young people (aged 0-18) from entering the care system in Coventry, alongside stabilising relationships between children in care and their carers to prevent instability and children having to move again. With a workforce that is committed to safely keeping families together as a unit by strengthening, improving and rebuilding relationships. We are passionate about delivering ground-breaking solutions to promote sustainable change for our families. We encourage individuals to make informed choices about their own lives and involve them in all aspects of the work.

Be part of our inspiring team, making a meaningful difference in the lives of Coventry's children. Together, let's create a nurturing environment where every child's potential can flourish.

What is the job role?

Edge of Care is a service that will support young people at risk of entering care to stay with their families. The service also supports children in care who are living in foster care and at risk of relationship breakdown, helping to ensure stability and prevent children having to move again. We use therapeutically informed, evidence-based models of practice and assist families to make significant, positive changes.

You will provide intensive, therapeutically informed support to children and young people aged 0-18 and their families, usually over a period of 6 – 12 weeks. The work builds on a family’s strengths and introduces coping strategies. It blends practical support with strong challenge to address complex and enduring needs.

Team members engage young people and families to defuse crises within the home, assess problems, develop measurable goals and help the whole family acquire the skills necessary to achieve them.

Cases will span a wide range of issues including family conflict, absence from home, child exploitation, educational issues, anti-social behaviour’s, substance abuse and mental health.

Working closely with other agencies and local services, you will be on the frontline of an approach that improves behaviour’s, relationships, confidence, aspiration, employability, living conditions and mental and physical health.

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Who are we looking for?

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Therapeutic Practitioner who is committed to achieving positive outcomes for children, young people, and families experiencing crisis and adversity. You will understand the importance of relationships as a resource for change and be able to engage families in a way that builds trust and promotes safety.

You will have experience of delivering therapeutically informed interventions in home and community settings, working alongside families to understand their strengths, challenges, and goals. With a strong understanding of child development, attachment, trauma, and safeguarding, you will be confident in assessing need, managing risk, and delivering targeted interventions that strengthen relationships, increase resilience, and reduce the likelihood of family breakdown.

You will need to be a team player with a flexible and responsive approach. You will be willing to work a shift pattern that includes evenings and occasional weekends. Shift patterns are 8:30 am-5:00 pm, 10:00 am- 6:30 pm, and 11:30 am- 8:00 pm. Weekend work is approximately 3 weekends per year, providing responsive support to families experiencing crisis.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

The following content displays a map of the jobs location – Friargate – Floor 9, One Friargate, Station Square, Coventry