Job info	Job info details
Job title	Senior Family Help Practitioner
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Safeguarding and Family Help
Business unit	Family Help
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Assistant Team Manager / Team Manager
Accountable to (line manager)	Assistant Team Manager / Team Manager
Salary grade	H
JE ref	CSERV037

1. Key purpose of job

• To provide high quality and effective Family Help service to respond to the needs of children, young people and families in a timely manner and within statutory guidelines, policies and standards.
• To assess need, plan and deliver focused intervention and family support to safeguard and protect children and young people open to S17 Child in Need and promote positive outcomes.
• To complete task centred work on Cared For r Children Care Plans and Child Protection Plans co-allocated with a qualified social worker.
• Working to models of best practice and actively promoting and adopting integrated approaches for the benefit of children and young people and their families.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Effective partnership working improved outcomes for children, young people and their families at the earliest opportunity.
• Families are enabled to sustain positive change, enabling children to and have the best life chances.
• Children and young people’s wishes and feelings are heard, recorded and considered in care planning and delivery of interventions. 

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• To manage a caseload (Child in Need) and work with the direction of a qualified social worker to support Child Protection.
• To work in partnership with children, young people and their families ensuring professional boundaries are set and maintained.
• To create sensitive, caring but structured working relationship enabling young people to explore their difficulties and express their wishes and feelings. 
• To supervise family time arrangements as necessary.
• To offer both support and challenge to children, young people and their families as part of any agreed change process.
• To establish effective working relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure high standards of service and support to young people and their families.
• To prepare internal and external reports and maintain accurate case records.
• Responsible for Children in Need Reviews and multi-agency meetings. 
• To undertake direct work with children, young people and their families who are open to Child in Need or co-allocated under Child Protection. 
• To engage with learning and training events, supervision and appraisals and maintain a log of continued professional development.
• To undertake observations and gather information from children, young people, families and other agencies to analyse, summarise and evaluate the information to provide an holistic assessment of a child or young persons need, balancing risk and protective factors within the Child in Need framework.
• Contribute to the promotion and use of preventative and early intervention services within the community to prevent the need for statutory intervention, by actively collaborating with Service Users and partner agencies including schools.
• To use Liquid Logic LCS electronic system for routine communication, recording, information gathering and assessment in order to secure the best outcomes for Service Users and their families.
• Identify and manage risk for Children, Young People and their families who are open to Child in Need with support from Team Manager and escalate concerns as appropriate.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Work independently within the Community undertaking home visits and lone working. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical effort.

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal resources.

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External: 
  • Youth Offending Team, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), Education Department, Health, Housing.
  • External Agencies. 
  • Other local authorities. 
  • Courts. 
  • Members of the public. 
• Internal: 
  • Community Services and Specialist Services Social Workers, Care to Community (Care Leavers) Family Group Conference, SATS, Young Carers.
  • Specialist Assessment Therapy Service. 
  • Fostering and Adoption Service. 
  • Intensive Family Support Service. 
  • Child Care Teams. 
  • Education. 
  • Child and Family Guidance. 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at Tor Hill House but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• The post is eligible for both hybrid and permanent home working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Senior Family Help Practitioner
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Safeguarding and Family Help
Business unit	Family Help

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Ability to carry out assessments, plan and deliver needs-based packages of support, balancing risk and protective factors. 
• Ability to produce and maintain accurate records and reports.
• Ability to engage positively with children, young people and their parents.
• Ability to exercise individual judgement and consult where and when appropriate.
• Effective communication/interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to use IT packages including Microsoft word and IT based Care Management Systems.
• Ability to demonstrate skills in mediation, negotiation and problem solving. 
• Ability to make decisions and take responsibility for them.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and with other agencies.
• Ability to work effectively on own initiative, prioritise workload and manage time to meet deadlines.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Experience of multi-agency working and Service development.
• Advocacy skills.
• Mediation skills.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Understanding of basic human needs, physical, emotional and social.
• Knowledge of Social Care legislation, policies and procedures. Knowledge of issues facing families at risk of family breakdown.
• Knowledge of assessment frameworks.
• Understanding of the full range of activities delivered by the Authority and partners in relation to children, young people and families.

Desirable knowledge

• Care Management process, policies and standards. 

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Considerable experience working as a community care worker in a health or social care environment with children and young people.
• Experience of working with children, young people and families displaying challenging behaviour or with complex needs/vulnerabilities. 
• Experience of working in partnership to deliver team around the family support and interventions.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of participating in a variety of multi-agency meetings. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Level 3 qualification working with Children and Families or significant demonstrable experience.
• GCSE pass in English at Grade C or above or equivalent. 
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Level 4 qualification working with Children, Young People and Families. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.