Suffolk Jobs Direct
Family Help Practitioner
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Job Description
Suffolk County Council
Address: Hybrid and community-based in either Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU, Ipswich IP1 5PB, Lowestoft NR33 0EQ, and Leiston IP16 4HE
Salary: £28,598 per annum (pro rata for part-time)
Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
Contract: Permanent
At Suffolk County Council, every role is a chance to create positive change. As a Family Help Practitioner in the Family Help Team, you will see the direct impact of your work on the children, young people, and families that make Suffolk special. Join us and turn your passion for progress into action.
Reimagine the possibilities.
Your Role and Responsibilities
As a Family Help Practitioner, you will play a key role in supporting children, young people, and families to achieve positive and lasting change.
In this role, you will:
- Act as the lead professional for families, building trusted relationships, and working collaboratively to understand needs and develop meaningful plans.
- Carry out home visits, assessments, and planned interventions, using the Signs of Safety and Wellbeing framework to guide your approach.
- Provide practical and emotional support, helping families navigate early signs of social, emotional, health, or behavioral issues.
- Work alongside social workers, health colleagues, and other agencies to provide coordinated support.
- Maintain clear, accurate, and timely case records, making sure every child’s story is captured respectfully and professionally.
- Recognize safeguarding concerns and escalate them appropriately with support and oversight from management.
- Organize your own workload, problem-solve effectively, and contribute to group or multi-agency meetings.
Every day, you will be helping families move towards strength, resilience, and safety.
Requirements
We hope you will bring:
- A Level 4 practitioner qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant area of work.
- A strong commitment to Suffolk’s WE ASPIRE values.
- An understanding of early intervention, prevention, and child development.
- Experience working directly with children and families, including those with complex needs or safeguarding concerns.
- Confidence in delivering evidence-based interventions and working creatively to help families make changes.
- The ability to identify risks, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals.
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Due to the nature of this role, you will be required to have a driving license and access to personal transport. If you feel you can meet these travel requirements through other suitable means, please contact the Hiring Manager before applying to discuss.
Even if you don’t meet every criterion, we encourage you to apply; we would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The Team
You will join one of our dedicated Family Help Teams - multi-disciplinary groups of social workers and practitioners committed to improving outcomes for children and young people across Suffolk.
We work creatively, collaboratively, and with compassion, always striving to ensure every child can live their best life.
Hybrid working, community engagement, and flexible approaches are all part of how we operate.
Empowering Everyone
We are big believers in potential, possibility, and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect, and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For More Information
For a casual chat about the role/s, please email: cypsocialworkenquiries@suffolk.gov.uk or contact Steve Blaney by calling 07742 505342.
How to Apply
Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).
Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).
- Describe your experience of working directly with children, young people, and families. What support did you provide, and what outcomes were achieved?
- Give an example of when you carried out (or contributed to) an assessment and developed a plan with a family. What framework/approach did you use, and what was the outcome?
- Tell us about a time you worked with other professionals/agencies to coordinate support for a family. How did you contribute to a joined-up response?
Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.
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For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.
Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience, and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.
Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team by emailing: recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or calling 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.
Closing date: 11.30 pm, 30 September 2026.
Promoted as SPJ (Standard Plus Job) on Suffolk Jobs Direct.
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.
About Us
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities, and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you’ll enjoy:
- Up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
- Membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Travel, lifestyle, health, and wellbeing benefits
- Performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
- Training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
- A variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
- Diverse and active staff networks
- Flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
Plus lots more!
If you want to know more about our benefits, values, and equality commitments, please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).
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