Helpline Practitioner

Are you a safeguarding professional who wants to make a difference to babies, children, young people and families?

We are looking for Helpline Practitioners to offer empathy, support, advice and action in relation to a wide range of child protection worries and concerns. We are looking to recruit to 4 full-time (35hr) positions and 1 part-time (17.5hr) position in Belfast.

Closing Date:

27 September 2026

• Annually:£34,582 plus 3.5% rota allowance and £220 home working allowance per annum FTE
• Region:
  
  Northern Ireland
• Location:
  
  Belfast - Lanyon Building
• Department:
  
  NSPCC Helpline
• Vacancy Type:
  
  Permanent
• Working hours per week:35
• Closing Date:27 September 2026

Please note that this vacancy involves a hybrid arrangement of home and office working and therefore candidates will need to be within a commutable distance of our Belfast Helpline office. Helpline staff work two full weeks in the office and one full week at home on a rolling basis.

At the NSPCC, our vision is to end cruelty to all children in the UK. An ambitious but worthwhile mission — and one you will help us achieve as a Helpline Practitioner.

At our UK-wide Helpline, our priority is to empower the public to protect children and young people. With sensitivity and common sense, you will provide emotional support, practical guidance and help to anyone who thinks a child may be at risk of abuse.

You will be offering advice and assistance to the public via telephone, email and through social media. You will take ownership of each contact you take and will be responsible for assessing the risk. If needed, you will also be required to liaise with our external child protection partners (Children's Services, Police) to ensure prompt and effective action is taken to minimise the risk to any child.

This is a fast-paced national Helpline with demanding targets, where self-discipline and the ability to work quickly are as essential to enable us to effectively deliver a child focused service.

• An appropriate
  level 4qualification from a safeguarding field; for example, social care, health, education, law enforcement, youth justice, youth work or counselling AND post-qualification experience of working in a role where you have had a level of responsibility for safeguarding children or families.
• Driven by making a difference
• Up-to-date knowledge of child protection legislation and practical experience of child protection and welfare issues
• An understanding of the needs of children
• Ability to collect, assess and summarise essential information in written format
• Good IT skills

The Helpline operates a hybrid-working model, with the opportunity for one in three weeks to be worked from home; these will be a mix of day and evening shifts. IT equipment will be provided, but you will need to have an ergonomic workspace at home that will allow you to work confidentially and keep organisational information secure.

The post holder will be required to participate in a rota working pattern and support a team that covers the period 7.30am to 10pm on weekdays and 8am-7pm on weekends. This also involves bank holiday working/weekend working. (Please see the attached rota information document for full details)

• Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 29 days per year. After 5 years this increases to 32 days per year.
• Employee discounts on everyday goods and services offering up to 35% off your favourite brands
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• We match your pension up to 7%
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Family friendly policies including paid parental and carers leave
• Bicycle and Season Ticket Loans
• Staff volunteering opportunities

The Helpline operates a cohort induction…