Senior Family Help Practitioner - REQ000176

Job title: Senior Family Help Practitioner

Salary: PO3 ( Salary £40,221-£43,421 p.a.)

Hours: Full Time- 37 hours

Contract: Permanent

Location: Usual office base will be Armley Community Hub, but the role will involve hybrid working and undertaking home visits across West Leeds and working flexibly from different venues across the city.

As a Senior Family Help Practitioner, you will be joining the Early Help Service at an exciting time to help to implement a new structure and vision to develop early help services for children and families. You will be passionate about delivering the best possible services for children and families in the local community.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Senior Family Help Practitioner, you will bring to the role:

The ability to communicate effectively and build constructive relationships, engaging a wide range of people, including internal and external partners and children and their families.
Experience of managing, supervising, appraising staff and the ability to support staff to feel motivated and engaged with the values and vision of the service, modelling appropriate behaviours and professionalism.
Significant experience of case management; prioritising competing and conflicting demands and deadlines; undertaking assessments using Formulation and developing collaborative support plans and goals.
Extensive experience of working with families with multiple and complex needs and with multi agency partners, using the Leeds Practice model and ensuring this is embedded within your own practice and across the service.
A good understanding of diversity issues within local communities and how these can be addressed in the context of family help.

About the role

As a Senior Help Practitioner you will supervise staff from multi-disciplinary backgrounds, assist the Early Help Manager and deputise in their absence, help to developing a multi -disciplinary service providing family help by strengthening family relationships and helping to provide safe, caring environments for children. You will assist in providing timely support and early intervention for children and families with multiple, complex needs to prevent and reduce the impact of adversities and traumatic experience through one to one support and groups support. You will be joining the service at an exciting time and your role will be integral in helping to implement the new structure and vision, developing early help services from the new 7 family hubs that are being established across Leeds.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form on the Leeds Jobs website.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Lynda Rushton on Lynda.Rushton@leeds.gov.uk .

A higher level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy. Please note that a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining employment; this will depend on the circumstances and background to any offence

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job purpose: Working in a Senior, supervisory capacity, within a multi-agency context provide Family Help to improve children’s lives by supporting the family unit and strengthening family relationships, helping them to provide the safe, caring environments that children need.

Provide a high quality and comprehensive level of structured Family Help in one of the following areas; Early Start & Children’s Centres, Family Hubs or Therapeutic Support Service in accordance with the organisational needs, policy, and practices of the Directorate and within statutory guidelines.

Working with families on an individual basis and in group settings apply a Think Family Work Family approach where there are children aged 0-18 in need of intensive &/or therapeutic family help and support (and up to 25 where there are special educational needs or disabilities or where there is a specific duty of care).

Responsibilities

To provide appropriate & timely support to children, young people & families with complex &/or high-level need to prevent/reduce the impacts of adversities and traumatic experience.
To address highest level needs to reduce the need for children to become looked after, or if already looked after, improve permanency and stability in their care environment.
To contribute to the development and work of the Trauma Informed (restorative) Practice Resource Team.
Engage with families in a positive, respectful, and responsive manner using a restorative and relational approach.
Utilise the Leeds Practice Model to enable effective formulation, intervention, planning and ongoing evaluation of a family’s needs to achieve positive goal-based outcomes.
Work in accordance with relevant City strategies including the Early Help Strategy, Children and Young People’s Plan, Children and Young people’s Social Care strategic plans, the Supporting Families Framework, the Best Start Strategy, and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.
Work to protect a child’s rights including their right to a family life, allowing children to be connected to their history and ensuring they are safe.
Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, to develop and provide intensive, individualised, holistic and structured family help to households with high level needs.
Hold and manage a caseload including assessment, design and delivery of an appropriate intervention plan, evaluation and management of risks using a family led/child focused approach in accordance with agreed statutory and directorate procedures.
Actively participate in relevant statutory case reviews, strategy meetings and conferences and organise and take a lead facilitating role in multi-agency case meetings as appropriate.
Work in partnership to develop and maintain effective working relationships with other professionals within the directorate and external partners agencies to ensure an integrated, holistic, and multidisciplinary approach to supporting families in need.
Plan, deliver, and review evidenced based training and intervention programmes for families and individuals to achieve positive outcomes.
Work in partnership with families and communities, starting from the position that all families need help at times and that this does not mean there is a child protection issue, but always working to fully understand and be aware of the risks children face and recognise if when there are concerns for a child’s safety and well-being.
Undertake development and management of staff including agreement of responsibilities and objectives ascertaining training and development needs, work planning, monitoring performance, assessment, and appraisals.
Effective supervision of individual and staff groups for them to reflect on their practice and develop strategies that will support their own and their peer’s well-being.
Utilise theory and best evidence to inform all packages of care and staff development, embed and champion all aspects of the Leeds Practice Model to ensure a restorative and strength-based approach is always used.
Promote and ensure the adoption of appropriate risk management systems and procedures.
Support and assist the Management Team to develop professional practice and take part in the induction and training of a range of staff groups where appropriate.
Where identified, ensure families are helped to understand their responsibilities as a tenant and manage tenancy and licence conditions in line with council’s procedures.
Maintain manual and digital records accurately collating and processing confidential data and information from a variety of sources including preparation of detailed reports in accordance with the requirements of GDPR
Maintain a high standard of practice, and professional manner always demonstrating continuous adherence to Leeds City Council values and code of conduct. Work within the policies and procedures laid down by Leeds City Council, and as part of a multi-agency team, maintain effective relationships with a wide range of people including colleagues within the service and across the Directorate, families, agencies, and the public.
Manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of service objectives and adapting to changing circumstances
Travel throughout Leeds City Council boundaries within the service working at different locations depending on need.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications: Hold a Level 5/6 relevant professional qualifications such as Social Work, Youth Work, Nursing or equivalent.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas and travel throughout Leeds City Council boundaries, moving location within the service working at different sites /areas depending on need.
Able to work flexible hours, including early mornings, late evenings and weekend
Able to respect sensitive and confidential information.
Able to use IT systems including Microsoft packages, e.g. word, excel and databases
Able to use management information systems e.g. Mosaic, SCMS, Core Plus.
Proven ability to develop personal and professional credibility with partners and stakeholders.
Able to support staff to feel motivated and engaged in the values, vision, and direction of the service, promoting the values of the Council through appropriate behaviour and professionalism.
Able to communicate effectively and maintain constructive relationships with a wide range of people including internal and external partners and customers
Proven ability to use initiative to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of service objectives and adapting to changing circumstances
Proven ability to work effectively as part of a team and to demonstrate organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting deadlines
Able to manage staff, and contribute to their development through appraisal, supervision and training
Able to recognise, understand and work with families across a range of presenting needs including but not limited to housing, substance use , child protection concerns, domestic violence , offending behaviours , family breakdown /improving family relationships , mental health and well-being.
Able to work alongside families to effectively devise and deliver individualised and sustainable packages of care, using a restorative approach.
Able to maintain accurate service user records, assessments and follow policy and procedure
Able to maintain digital and manual records, prepare reports to a high standard for a variety of purposes with language suited to function.
Able to analyse complex situations and make considered decisions.
Educated and have qualifications relevant to Family Help at level 5/6 or with professional qualifications aligned to this work such as social work, nursing, Youth Work, OT or equivalent
Demonstrate in depth knowledge and understanding of a wide range of relevant issues in relation to families that might need help e.g., Child and adolescent development, substance use, poverty, disadvantage, mental health, trauma, and adversity.
Extensive working knowledge of evidence informed strategies and approaches to supporting children, young people, and their families with high level/complex needs
Demonstrate in depth knowledge and understanding of the Leeds Practice Model
Demonstrate in depth knowledge and understanding of the approaches and legal frameworks relevant o helping families. E.g., Children Act , safeguarding, trauma informed practice , practical supports and resources (including other professionals and agencies)
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity issues within local communities and how these can be addressed in the context of family help.
Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of confidentiality and the needs and wishes of individuals, families, and carers in the context of safeguarding.
Significant demonstrable experience of working with and advocating for young people/ families in community environments, working alongside other agencies.
Significant demonstrable experience of undertaking assessments and formulating support &/or care plans.
Significant demonstrable experience of managing, supervising, and supporting staff.

Essential Behavioural and other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Able to drive
Trained or having demonstrable specialist knowledge in a range of Family Help interventions in a range of settings e.g., evidence based parenting , groups, mental health support , evidence based interventions such as CBT, family work, systemic work
Knowledge of social policy developments in Family Help
Experience of working with a range of user groups, specifically within BME communities

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