REQ002614

Job title: Early Help Practitioner (2 posts)
Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Full-time
Location: Merrion House, Leeds, LS2 8NG
Are you passionate about ensuring Early Help Support arrives at the correct time and is delivered in the right way? Are you passionate about workforce development and supporting services to develop and improve their offer of Early Help? Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, young people, and families? IF SO, Leeds Early Help Services is looking for a dedicated and compassionate Early Help Practitioner like you.

QUALIFICATIONS

A relevant Level 3 qualification in family help or a related field, or professional qualifications aligned to this work.
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.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE ROLE:

• Significant experience of early intervention, working with professionals, children and families to provide support and challenge using a restorative and relational approach.
• Experience developing effective partnerships with families and with professionals to achieve positive outcomes for children.
• Experience using management information systems e.g., Mosaic, SCMS, Core Plus.
• Effective liaising with staff at different levels across agencies and influence practice.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, information sharing and other key legislation relating to children and their parents/carers.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As an Early Help Practitioner you will be based at Merrion House working closely with the Social Work Duty and Advice team to provide guidance and support at an Early Help level, workforce development and training. In this vital role, formulation is a key to informing next steps, providing timely and targeted support that help prevent issues from escalating. Your work will be directly aligned to our Leeds practice principles as you form part of a dynamic team focused on improving outcomes and directly contributing towards building resilience within communities.

THIS ROLE IS BASED IN THE UK. HOME OFFICE GUIDANCE STATES THAT CANDIDATES MUST EVIDENCE THEIR RIGHT TO WORK IN THE UK PRIOR TO COMMENCING EMPLOYMENT, 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, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you’ll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

JOB PURPOSE

To work in partnership with families and services to lead an assessment of need in order that a comprehensive plan is formulated that will ensure positive outcomes for children and their families are achieved.
To provide support, advice and guidance to Early Help colleagues and partners to assist them in the delivery of appropriate family help support and outcomes are accurately recorded.
To provide a high quality and comprehensive service in one of the following areas: Front Door or Family Hubs in accordance with the organisational needs, policy, and practices of the Directorate and within statutory guidelines.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to develop the early help graduated approach within the city by modelling exemplary partnership working.
• Use a restorative approach of high support and high challenge in work with families, colleagues and partners.
• Empower families to manage their own needs by working with parents to develop the network of support they will need to ensure positive outcomes for their children.
• Be a source of access to information and give advice about services for early help and advocate on behalf of families in order to ensure they are able to access the right service, at the right time.
• Work with families in crisis where there are no identified significant safeguarding concerns and link them to other services in order for Early help services to be provided. This could be via telephone contact or face to face contact.
• Provide advice and consultancy to professionals and other agencies about early help approaches and advise on appropriate referrals to services.
• Ensure that safeguarding procedures are adhered to by recognising and acting in relation to the safety of children where concerns of risk are identified.
• Engage with the Front Door duty system to triage referrals to best identify which service is appropriate to support the family.
• Support the continuous development of early help practice and the embedding of the Leeds Practice Model.
• Engage in short-term direct work to assess/formulate need, undertake intervention and clarify next steps.
• Facilitate restorative family meetings where this has been identified as an appropriate course of action.
• Champion Early Help registration, assessment, plan and review process across the wider partnership.
• Lead on the delivery of evidence-based parenting programmes across the partnership.
• Lead on quality assurance practices across the early help partnership.
• Lead on the delivery of training to the wider partnership, consultation about specific cases and provide support and guidance to other workers within early help.
• Innovatively lead on the consultation of children and families, with a focus on family voice and influence on shape and inform service provision including asset- based community developments by engaging with voluntary, faith and community organisations.
• Work as part of a multi-agency team, maintaining effective relationships with a wide range of people including colleagues within the service and across the Directorate, families, agencies and the general public dealing with all contact in a professional manner.
• 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.