Job info	Job info details
Job title	Young Parents & Sexual Health Engagement Practitioner - 37 hours
Strategic team/Directorate	Young Parents & Sexual Health Engagement Practitioner
Service	Safeguarding
Business unit	Family Help 2
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Youth Hub Manager
Accountable to (line manager)	Youth Hub Manager
Salary grade	G
JE ref	CSERV069

1. Key purpose of job

• The Young Parents & Sexual Health Engagement Practitioner will work as part of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme to support young parents (typically aged under 25) to feel connected, confident, and integrated within their communities and local services.
• The role will provide both one-to-one and group-based support, building trusting relationships with young parents to understand their individual needs, strengths, and aspirations. Through this personalised approach, the post holder will help young parents navigate services, reduce isolation, and improve outcomes for themselves and their families.
• In addition, the role will develop and deliver peer-led support initiatives, improve access to contraception and sexual health services, and act as a ‘contraception champion’, supporting both young people and the wider workforce to have confident, informed conversations about contraception, sexual health and relationships.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Improved engagement, uptake, and sustained participation of young parents in Best Start Family Hub and Healthy Babies services.
• Increased knowledge, confidence, and informed decision-making among young parents in relation to relationships, sexual health, and contraception.
• Increased access to and appropriate use of contraception and sexual health services, including timely referrals and reduced barriers to access.
• Strengthened peer support networks, with young parents actively participating in and co-producing services that reduce isolation and improve wellbeing.
• Improved multi-agency working and more effective pathways between Family Hubs, sexual health services, and community partners, contributing to better outcomes for young parents and their children.

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.

• Deliver direct support to young parents:
  • Build trusting relationships with young parents, offering practical and emotional support (this includes support across perinatal stage and with making informed choices on issues such as infant feeding choices).
  • Provide signposting and guidance to services including health, education, employment, housing, and parenting support.
  • Support young parents to feel included and engaged within their local communities and Best Start Family Hub offer.
  • Identify barriers to engagement and work creatively to overcome them.

• Develop peer support programmes for young parents:
  • Design, develop, and facilitate peer support groups and/or buddying programmes for young parents within the best Start Family Hub and/ or Youth Hub and wider community.
  • Recruit, train, and support peer mentors or ambassadors with lived experience.
  • Co-produce services and activities with young parents to ensure they meet local needs.
  • Encourage participation, confidence building, and social connection.

•  Contraception & Sexual Health Champion:
  • Promote awareness and understanding of contraception and sexual health options.
  • Support young people to access appropriate contraception services, including referral pathways.
  • Deliver brief interventions and information sessions on relationships, sexual health, and pregnancy prevention.
  • Ensure information provided is accurate, accessible, non-judgemental, and trauma informed.
  • Provide training and guidance to the wider Best Start Family Hub workforce on contraception and sexual health.

•  Partnership & community engagement:
  • Work collaboratively with partners including NHS services, Best Start Family Hubs providers, education settings, voluntary sector organisations, and community groups.
  • Strengthen pathways between Best Start Family Hubs, sexual health services, and youth provision.
  • Represent the service at multi-agency meetings where required.

• Monitoring & evaluation:
  • Maintain accurate records of engagement and outcomes in line with data protection requirements.
  • Contribute to reporting requirements linked to Best Start Family Hub funding.
  • Support evaluation of programmes and continuous improvement of services.

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 demands.

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Computer and other IT equipment.
• General office equipment.
• Mobile phone.

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

• Schools & Colleges.
• Best Start Family Hubs.
• Sexual Health Services.
• Community youth groups.
• Voluntary and statutory agencies.
• Health Services.
• Local employers.

Internal

• Participation Officers.
• Public Health Team.
• Children & Adult Social Care Teams.
• Education.
• Youth Services.

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 Childrens Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at The Town Hall, Castle Circus, Torquay 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 hybrid 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	Young Parents & Sexual Health Engagement Practitioner - 37 hours
Strategic team/Directorate	Young Parents & Sexual Health Engagement Practitioner
Service	Safeguarding
Business unit	Family Help 2

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to have sensitive conversations.
• Ability to engage hard-to-reach or vulnerable groups.
• Ability to work collaboratively across organisations.
• Ability to produce and maintain accurate records and reports.
• Ability to engage positively with children, young people and their parents.
• Ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of organisations and individuals.
• Ability to engage and communicate effectively with children and young people and form positive working relationships with them, their families and carers, specialist services and colleagues.
• Understanding the needs of local young people including the more complex issues that the most vulnerable young people face in society.
• Ability to confidently and competently facilitate training sessions and workshops.
• Aptitude for using IT.
• 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.
• Ability and willingness to acquire new knowledge to ensure knowledge base is up to date.
• Evidence of consistent pattern of learning from education, training and experience.
• 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.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Understanding of inequalities affecting young parents.
• Knowledge of sexual health, contraception, and related public health areas.
• Understanding of professional boundaries.
• Understanding of basic human needs, physical, emotional, cultural and social.
• Knowledge of participation and engagement principles.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of the Family Hubs model or integrated working approaches.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience working with young people and/or young parents.
• Experience of delivering group work or peer support initiatives.
• Good communication skills and the confidence and ability to deliver training and presentations.
• Experience of working with children, young people and families experiencing high vulnerabilities and levels of needs.
• Experience of health/education/social care needs and services.
• Experience working to performance indicators, including monitoring and reporting on service outputs/outcomes, tracking of participation activities, analysing performance information, and identifying correction action.
• Teamwork.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of group work.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Educated to GCSE O Level standard or equivalent.
• Relevant Level 6 qualification in nursing/youth work/allied health professional/public health/community work/social care – or equivalent skills and experience.
• Evidence of a consistent pattern of learning from education, training and experience.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

N/A

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 in order to carry out duties.
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
• Ability to accommodate occasional home working.