Family Education Practitioner

Job Title: Family Education Practitioner
Starting Salary: £32.578 progressing to £35,570 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 22 hours per week, term time only
Location: Hemel Hempstead or Stevenage with countywide travel
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families? We are looking for a dedicated Family Education Practitioner to join our Virtual School team to support families to navigate the education system and advocate for the best educational outcomes for their children.

About the team

Hertfordshire's Virtual School is a dedicated service that champions the educational needs of children and young people who are looked after by the local authority, as well as those children previously looked after who have left care due to adoption, special guardianship order or child arrangement order. We offer early support through a graduated response to adoptive parents, special guardians, and schools supporting children previously looked after or in kinship care (subject to a Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangement Order). We provide educational advice, information and signposting to parents, guardians and schools that is rooted in attachment and trauma understanding.

About the role

You will work directly with adopters and Kinship carers to offer tailored educational advice, information and signposting to relevant services. Your role will be key in promoting the educational outcomes of children previously looked-after and those in kinship care.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide support to families regarding education both virtually and in-person.
• Offer guidance on how early childhood experiences impact education.
• Collaborate with families schools, social care, and health professionals,
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to service quality assurance.
• Promote honest, empathetic communication and build trusting relationships with families and professionals.

About you

Essential:

• Experience working with children and families in the education system.
• Proven ability to support positive outcomes in education, care, or therapeutic settings.
• Strong communication and advocacy skills, especially in multi-agency environments.
• Competence in using IT systems for record keeping and service delivery.
• A commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• A driving licence and own transport.

Desirable:

• Training in trauma-informed practice, therapeutic parenting, or similar approaches.
• Knowledge of the education system and challenges faced by children previously looked-after.
• Previous experience supporting adopters, adoptees and/or kinship families.

Why Join Us?

This is a rewarding opportunity to be part of a child-centred, collaborative team. You’ll play a vital role in shaping services that make a real difference to children’s lives.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 8. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Georgie Zacharzewski on 01992 555769 for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 19 October 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

We are changing
Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.