Higher Grade Family Intervention Worker - Strengthening Families

Join our dedicated Adolescent Service and help transform the lives of some of Portsmouth's most vulnerable young people and families. Working as part of our Strengthening Families offer, you'll provide intensive, evidence-based support to families experiencing complex challenges, helping prevent family breakdown and supporting young people to remain safely within their home and community.

Your new role

Do you have the skills to make a real difference to young people and their families? In this rewarding role, you'll use restorative, relationship-based approaches to deliver meaningful interventions that help families overcome challenges, strengthen relationships, and build confidence. Working with young people and their families, you'll develop creative support plans, manage a varied caseload, and collaborate with professionals across services to achieve positive outcomes. We're looking for a resilient, empathetic and adaptable practitioner with experience of working with complex families, who can provide practical support during both everyday challenges and times of crisis, including evenings and weekends when families need us most.

Who is the person summary:

We're looking for an experienced and motivated practitioner with a background in social work, family support or childcare who is passionate about achieving positive outcomes for children and families. You'll be confident working independently in family homes, assessing risk, delivering evidence-based and restorative interventions, and making sound decisions in complex situations. With strong knowledge of safeguarding and child protection, excellent communication and analytical skills, and an understanding of trauma-informed practice, you'll thrive in a fast-paced environment managing competing demands and responding to crises. Flexibility to work outside normal office hours, including weekends, is essential, as is the ability to build effective relationships and challenge appropriately to drive lasting change for families.

For full details, please review 'who is the person' on the job profile below attached.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Additional Information

Please ensure that you read the job profile for full details on the post.We offer hybrid working with the expectation to attend the office minimum 2 days a week (pro rata for part time), this remains flexible, depending on the role and subject to business needs.

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Interview date: 16th September 2026

Our recruitment process

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page: Support for applicants - Careers portal

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found atEquality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

If applying as a secondment you will need permission from your current line manager releasing you for this secondment. Please state you have this on your personal statement on the application.

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information.

You will need to explain any gaps in your career history within the last 5 years - this is essential for all safeguarding roles.

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contactrecruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.