Job Description

Salary: £25,000 per annum (Rising to £26,006.84 per annum effective 1st April 2026)

Location: Greenock, Inverclyde.

Contract/Hours: Fixed Term Maternity Leave Cover, Contract until 26th March 2027 / Full Time - 37 hours per week.

Closing date for applications is midnight of Sunday 15th March and interviews are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 25th March

Benefits:

• 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
• Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
• Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts.

We are one of the largest children’s charities in the UK and have been making a difference to the lives of the UK’s vulnerable children for over 150 years.

A bit about the role

“Supporting mental health and wellbeing is a big part of what we do. We help young people talk about how they are feeling, and make sure they do not feel alone.”

Are you someone who cares deeply about supporting young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing? We’re looking for a compassionate and committed Young Person’s Practitioner to join our team in Inverclyde. In this role, you’ll help create a safe, supportive space for school pupils aged 5 –18 by offering high quality, school-based group work.

You’ll also play an important part in providing early help and more targeted support for children, young people and families aged 5–18 who may be experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, challenges with their mental health. Our service blends preventative activities, early help groups, including Action for Children’s evidence-based Blues Programme and more intensive one to one support where needed.

Because we work closely with young people and schools, there may be times when some out of hours or occasional weekend work is required, but you’ll be joining a supportive team who share the same commitment to making a positive difference.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

Some key responsibilities of a Young Person’s Practitioner role are;

• Offering thoughtful, high‑quality support to children, young people and their families, guided by individual needs and focused on meaningful outcomes.
• Delivering a range of specialist and sometimes complex interventions, whether that’s one‑to‑one work, small groups, or sessions within the wider community.
• Taking part in multi‑agency meetings, contributing your insight and helping to shape reflective, child‑centred practice across partners.
• Planning and organising day‑to‑day resources, making sure the service runs smoothly and consistently delivers a positive experience.
• Building strong, trusting relationships with children, young people, families, colleagues, community groups and partner agencies, creating open and effective channels of communication.

Let's talk about you

• SVQ Level 3 (or SVQ Level 2 and working towards level 3) or HNC in discipline relating to Children and Young People e.g. Health and Social Care or Mental Health.
• Experience working within a multi-agency social care, schools, youth work or health environment and applying safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to keep the child and or young people as the focus and ensure their feelings and wishes are represented in meetings and record keeping.
• Ability to communicate effectively and engagingly and to maintain independent professional relationships and boundaries.
• Working knowledge of an outcome-based approach to planning, delivering, and reviewing services.
• Driving licence and access to a car. The job requires the ability to travel according to the needs of the job, with reasonable adjustments, if required, according to the Equality Act.

Good to know 

Application Process

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.

Talent Pool

We know talent when we see it. But sometimes we find the right person but not for the right job. We'd love to keep your details for when the right job comes up. Let us know if you'd rather we didn't.

Contact: Laura McCarthy at recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 12712

Diversity, equality and inclusion
At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace.

We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.
Male staff are under-represented within our Children Service roles. We would like to encourage more male applicants for our Children Service roles.

Don't meet every single requirement?

If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, we'd love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within the Action for Children family.

Please click on the below links to find out more about this role and Action for Children;

Action for Children Employee Benefits

AfC Commitment Statement

Find us on Linkedin, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.