Family Help Lead Practitioner (Alternatively Qualified)

Job description

City of York Council are excited to invite you to apply for the role of Family Help Lead Practitioner (Alternatively qualified) to join our Family Help service.

We have now launched Families First in York and are continuing to invest in a diverse and skilled workforce and creating opportunities for experienced practitioners from a range of professional backgrounds to shape and influence practice. We are also proud to be rated Outstanding by Ofsted, reflecting our strong leadership and commitment to children and families.

This role does not require a social work qualification, however applicants must demonstrate equivalent experience in leading work with children and families with complex needs, including involvement in safeguarding processes.

This is an opportunity to be part of a service that values high-quality relationships, reflective supervision and systemic practice, ensuring children and families receive the right support at the right time.

This role is open to experienced practitioners with relevant professional qualifications (for example in youth work, family support, education, health, probation, or related disciplines) who bring significant experience of working with children, young people and families.

As a Family Help Lead Practitioner, you will take a lead role in working with children and families with complex needs, helping them and their networks build strength and safety so children can remain at home wherever possible.

As a Family Help Lead Practitioner you will work directly with children and families, undertaking Family Help Assessments, delivering intervention and co-producing plans alongside families, their networks and professionals. You will build strong relationships and deliver meaningful direct work that promotes sustainable change. A key part of the role is your ability to navigate complex systems, advocate for families, and bring professionals together around a shared plan.

You will also co-work with a qualified social worker should concerns about a child escalate towards Child Protection as part of a wider multi-agency team while statutory decision-making remains with qualified social workers.

At the heart of our work is our Building Brighter Futures practice model, promoting a relational, strengths-based, systemic and restorative approach. This includes Signs of Safety, family group decision-making, and our Safe and Together approach to domestic abuse.

We are looking for experienced and motivated practitioners who:

• Have a relevant professional qualification (non-social work) and significant experience working with children and families, including those with complex and safeguarding needs
• Are skilled in assessment, planning and direct work with children, young people and families
• Have strong multi-agency working experience and confidence to coordinate support around families
• Can demonstrate analysis of risk, need and protective factors, and contribute effectively to safeguarding processes
• Are able to lead practice, support colleagues and model high-quality relational work
• Are committed to strengths-based, restorative and systemic approaches

At City of York, we are committed to your development and progression. You will benefit from clear opportunities within Family Help and wider childrens services and we have a strong learning and development offer complimented by high-quality reflective supervision.

We recognise and value the different expertise that alternatively qualified practitioners bring and will support you to develop your leadership role within an integrated workforce.

As this role is public facing, applicants will need to demonstrate, at interview, their competency to converse and provide advice and guidance to members of the public, in spoken English to CEFR level C1: Can express themselves fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. Only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder a natural, smooth flow of language.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for this role. Each role at CYC is different and your working arrangements will be determined based on the requirements of the role and in collaboration with you and your needs as part of the recruitment process. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team.

City of York Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We require the successful candidate to undertake an enhanced Criminal Record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

City of York Council is committed to investing in the talent and wellbeing of our staff and can offer a generous annual leave allowance, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, comprehensive Health & Wellbeing initiatives and a reward package which recognises your contribution.

We can offer flexible working practices, community engagement and volunteer activities and, as part of our commitment to you, promote continuous Learning & Development. In addition we also offer a growing range of discounts, rewards and savings.

For further information or an informal discussion please contact : Georgina Wright, Service Manager on [email protected]

Closing date: 18 October 2026 at 12 midnight

Interview date: 3 November 2026 and 5 November 2026