Family Help Lead

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join Gloucestershire Children's Services as a Family Help Lead as we continue to expand and strengthen our Family Help workforce across the county. This is an important time for the service as we implement the Department for Education's Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) reforms, bringing together early help, social work and partner agencies to provide more joined-up support for children, young people and families in our new Family Help teams.

As part of this innovative multidisciplinary model, Family Help Leads will work across both targeted early help and, where appropriate, child in need services, helping ensure families experience continuity of support from a trusted lead practitioner rather than unnecessary changes in workers as needs change. They will work alongside Family Help Social Workers, Parenting Practitioners, Intensive Family Support Workers, Family Group Decision Making Practitioners, SEND support practitioners and multi-agency partners such as employment advisors, mental health practitioners, IDVAs and our local network of children's centres and family hubs, to provide response, flexible relational support to families in need of support.

As a Family Help Lead, you will build positive and purposeful relationships with children, young people and their families, undertaking Family Help assessments, coordinating multi-agency support and delivering evidence-informed interventions that build resilience, reduce risk and improve outcomes. As part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will play a key role in helping children remain safely within their families wherever possible.

This is a career grade role offering progression from Family Help Lead (Grade
7) to Senior Family Help Lead (Grade
8) as you develop your knowledge, skills and experience. Practitioners at Grade 7 will primarily work with families at Targeted Early Help level, whilst Senior Family Help Leads will undertake more complex work across both Targeted Early Help and Child in Need thresholds, as well as supporting colleagues and contributing to service development. If successful, you will be supported through a comprehensive workforce development programme run by Gloucestershire's Academy, including Families First training, reflective supervision and opportunities to develop specialist expertise in Family Help practice such as training opportunities in parenting programmes, safer relationships domestic abuse programmes, and systemic practice.

Caseloads are allocated in line with practitioner experience, skills and the needs of children and families.

• Tewkesbury
• Gloucester

• delivering evidence based interventions to vulnerable children and families
• undertaking Family Help assessments and contributing to multi-agency plans
• coordinating and delivering support using a solution-focused and strengths-based approach
• building trusted, empowering relationships with families and supporting parents through creative and engaging practice
• working collaboratively with a wide range of partner agencies and services

As a result of the reforms, this role will offer the opportunity to work more seamlessly across thresholds, helping reduce unnecessary changes of lead practitioner and providing continuity of support for families as we adopt the recommendation relating to Family Help structures across the county.

• the opportunity to be part of significant national reform and service development
• a supportive, experienced and values-led workforce
• practice underpinned by Systemic Practice and a commitment to learning and development
• meaningful work that helps prevent escalation to higher-level services
• flexible working arrangements where service needs allow

You will be joining an authority that is committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for children and families, recognising the importance of reflective practice, collaboration, and professional curiosity.

• have experience working with children, young people…