Targeted Family Help (Formerly Early Help) - Lead Practitioner Trainee

Targeted Family Help (Formerly Early Help) - Lead Practitioner (Trainee)

*This role is a consultation grade- subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equality Review*

Starting Salary Grade B (GR3) - £28,598 to £34,434 with a view to progressing to a Grade C (GR4) position following in house training and obtaining “The Trust in-house City & Guilds level 4 Award in Work with Parents (WWP) Intense Support for Families with Multiple and Complex Needs.

Grade C (GR4) starting salary will be upon successful completion of the course £35,412

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families? Join Birmingham Children’s Trust and be a part of our mission to deliver effective Family Help directly to families. As a Lead Practitioner, you will play a crucial role in enabling families to achieve excellent outcomes.

We’re looking for a committed, people‑focused leaders to help drive high‑quality early help practice within our Targeted Family Help Service. If you’re enthusiastic about impactful assessments, evidence‑based support, and building strong multi‑agency partnerships, this is a fantastic opportunity to influence real change.

We are offering a unique programme for candidates to join the Trust as a Targeted Family Help Lead Practitioner (Trainee) Grade B (GR3) and within 12 months the opportunity to progress to Grade C (GR4) Lead Practitioner upon successful completion of the Trust in-house City & Guilds level 4 Award in Work with Parents (WWP) Intense Support for Families with Multiple and Complex Needs.

Responsibilities of the role:

• With support from a senior colleague to act as the lead professional for children and their families in need of help and support.
• With guidance from the Practice Supervisor or Team Manager, lead on needs-led Family Assessments and create multi-agency Family Help plans for families receiving Targeted Early Help and/or under section 17 of the Children Act 1989. Work with families, taking a whole family approach to practice
• With guidance from the Practice Supervisor or Team Manager, lead on the delivery of multi-agency targeted Early Help and/or Child in Need plans including providing evidence-based help and support to families.
• With support from a senior colleague facilitate multi-agency Early Help and Child in Need meetings to implement and review Family Help plans.
• With support from a senior colleague act as the Lead Practitioner for children with a range of help and support needs, ensuring appropriate escalation to the Practice Supervisor and/or Team Manager where necessary.
• With support from a senior colleague complete assessments and reports to recognised standards and deadlines. This involves gathering and analysing all available information, engaging with, and observing children and families, identifying strengths and risks, and making judgments about what help and support is needed for the family to achieve positive outcome.
• Build positive relationships with children and young people and promote their education, development, safety, health, and wellbeing. Build a relationship with the family and, wherever possible, remain their main point of contact for as long as they require support.
• Contribute to meetings chaired by colleagues where required such as Strategy Meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Care Planning meetings and Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC).
• Ensure that children’s views, wishes, and feelings are heard and inform their assessments and plans.
• In line with Connections Count, use trauma-informed relationship-based skills and demonstrate purposeful engagement with children and families.
• Collect, analyse, and accurately record all relevant information using the social care IT system in accordance with statutory and organisational requirements and take appropriate actions to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
• Develop multi-agency partnerships with key agencies to support children and families with identified needs to make positive changes.
• Adhere to legislation, policy, and organisational procedures to ensure a timely response to the needs of children and their families.
• Promote equality of opportunity, diversity, and inclusion within the service.
• Keep up to date with relevant legislation, policies, procedures, and guidance. Meet the requirements for Family Help set out in Working Together and the National Framework
  

What We Are Looking For:

• Passionate and committed individuals with proven experience in working directly with children and families.
• Experience in assessing family needs and working in partnership to achieve excellent outcomes.
• Ability to deliver evidence-based interventions and make effective changes in the lives of children and families.
• Willingness to undertake the Trust in house training programme to progress to a Lead Practitioner role.

What We Offer:

• Relocation Allowance of up to £8,000 (T&C’s apply)
• We pay your Social Work England registration fee
• We pay your DBS application fee and reimburse your update service fee
• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme which gives you the chance to drive a brand-new car for an affordable fixed monthly amount as part of a salary sacrifice initiative. With no deposits or credit checks required a range of all-inclusive driving packages
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
  Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns, to support the needs of the Trust and to ensure a positive work/life balance for our employees
• You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Discounted gym memberships with Pure Gym and Nuffield Health

Important Dates:

• Closing date: Friday, 10th April 2026.
• Interviews to be held in person at Lifford House on 28th, 29th, 30th April and 5th, 6th, 7th May 2026

Please upload an up-to-date CV and Personal Statement via the attachment part of the application. The Personal Statement should outline how you meet the essential criteria for the role through your personal qualities, skills and experience and include your motivation for applying for the post. Note personal Statement should be no more than 1500 words. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached.

About Us

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham and have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

Benefits

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.