Job Description

Family Practitioner Team Leader

Salary: £32,200 per annum, pro rata

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Contract/Hours: Fixed Term contract for 12 months / Part Time – 18.5 hours per week (Typically three days fluid across the week, with flexibility to discuss)

Closing date will be midnight of Sunday 20th September and interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place on week commencing 28th September

Benefits:

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
• Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
• As part of our commitment to staff wellbeing, you’ll receive a paid annual Wellbeing Day to use however you choose, supporting a healthy balance between work and life.
• Parking is available at most hubs, and when staff do need to pay for parking while working city‑wide, these costs are reimbursed.

At Action for Children, we offer more than just a job. Join us and you’ll be part of a team dedicated to giving children safe and happy childhoods. See how your skills can make a real difference, helping solve the problems children and young people face every day.

A bit about the role

Are you an experienced family support practitioner with a passion for early intervention, leadership and improving outcomes for children, young people and families? Do you have the confidence to lead and inspire a team delivering group‑based support programmes for families awaiting Children and Young People’s services (CYP’s)?

Join us as a Family Practitioner Team Leader and play a central role in shaping, guiding and overseeing high‑quality family support services across Newcastle.

As the Family Practitioner Team Leader, you’ll provide day‑to‑day leadership, supervision and operational oversight to a team of Family Practitioners delivering early intervention support to children, young people and families awaiting specialist CYP services. You’ll ensure the smooth, effective delivery of evidence‑based group programmes, including:

• Decider Skills
• Togetherness (Understanding Your Child)
• Incredible Years Autism
• Sleep Programmes
• Other evidence‑based interventions

Working closely with operational managers, partner agencies and CYP services, you will help ensure families receive accessible, high‑quality support that promotes wellbeing, builds resilience and prevents escalation of need.

You’ll champion a strengths‑based, trauma‑informed approach, ensuring services remain inclusive, responsive and attuned to the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and neurodevelopmental differences.

About the Service

Our Newcastle Early Years Cluster provides high‑quality Early Help support for children, young people and families across the city. Working in close partnership with the local authority, health services, schools and community organisations, we deliver joined‑up, trauma‑informed support that responds to local needs and strengthens outcomes for families. Our work is rooted in strong multi‑agency collaboration, a commitment to safeguarding, and a focus on providing accessible, effective early intervention.

What you do could make a difference

Some key responsibilities of a Family Practitioner Team Leader are to;

• Lead, supervise and support a team of Family Partners and Practitioners, providing regular case supervision, wellbeing support and performance management.
• Oversee high‑quality delivery of Decider Skills, Togetherness (Understanding Your Child), Sleep Programmes and other evidence‑based interventions, ensuring sessions are inclusive and adapted for children and young people with SEN.
• Monitor service delivery and outcomes, managing caseload allocation, tracking performance against targets and leading on quality assurance to maintain high professional standards.
• Develop staff skills and confidence through coaching, mentoring and reflective practice, supporting practitioners to effectively engage families who may face barriers to accessing support.
• Provide safeguarding leadership and build strong partnerships with schools, health services, social care, voluntary organisations and CYP teams, ensuring coordinated support and informed service development through data analysis.

Let’s talk about you

• Significant experience supporting children, young people and families within early help, family support, education, health or community settings.
• Proven experience leading, supervising or managing staff in family support or children’s services, with strong leadership and communication skills.
• Strong understanding of child development, family systems, evidence‑based interventions and safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures.
• Substantial knowledge and experience supporting children and young people with SEN, including autism, ADHD and social, emotional and mental health needs.
• Ability to oversee and deliver group‑based programmes, work effectively with multi‑agency partners, and manage competing priorities while maintaining high standards.
• A genuine commitment to early intervention, prevention and improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.

We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.

Will you join us?

Contact: Please submit an application via our careers page. If you have any further questions, you can contact Laura McCarthy at recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 13625

Diversity, equality and inclusion

We work hard to create an inclusive environment. One where individuality is celebrated and where everyone feels valued and supported. Because when we come together, with skills like yours, we’re capable of amazing things.

We actively encourage applications from people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and people with a disability, as these groups are under-represented within Action for Children.

Want to get to know Action for Children better?

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