Senior Early Help Worker

Kent County Council; Ashford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is seeking a dedicated Senior Early Help Worker to lead early help interventions, providing targeted support to vulnerable children, young people, and their families. The successful candidate will manage complex cases, supervise Early Help Workers, and collaborate with various stakeholders to enhance outcomes. Ideal applicants will have a relevant qualification, supervisory experience, and strong communication skills, contributing to the betterment of community services.

Qualifications

• Proven post-qualification experience working with children, young people, and families.
• Experience in supervising or mentoring staff.
• Additional training in safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, or family intervention.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of complex cases with assessments and plans.
• Deliver direct interventions using evidence-based approaches.
• Support and mentor Early Help staff in best practices.
• Collaborate with various agencies to coordinate support.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are escalated appropriately.
• Monitor family plans and contribute to service improvement.
• Prepare high-quality reports for meetings and forums.

Skills

Excellent communication

Leadership

People management

Risk assessment

Organisational skills

Problem-solving

Multi-agency partnership

Flexibility

Education

Level 4 or above qualification in a relevant field

Job description

To lead and deliver early help interventions and targeted support to vulnerable children, young people, and their families. The Senior Early Help Worker manages a complex caseload, provides supervision and guidance to Early Help Workers, and ensures high-quality, evidence-based practice to improve outcomes and prevent escalation to statutory services.

Responsibilities

• Case Management: Hold and manage a caseload of complex cases, conducting comprehensive assessments and developing whole-family plans with SMART objectives.
• Direct Work: Deliver direct interventions to children, young people, and families, using evidence-based tools and approaches (including trauma-informed practice).
• Supervision & Leadership: Support, supervise, and mentor Early Help, providing professional guidance and ensuring best practice.
• Multi-Agency Working: Work collaboratively with schools, health professionals, social care, police, and voluntary sector partners to coordinate support and achieve the best outcomes.
• Safeguarding: Identify and manage risks, ensuring safeguarding concerns are addressed and escalated appropriately.
• Performance & Quality: Monitor and review family plans, contribute to service improvement, and ensure accurate, timely case recording.
• Service Development: Support the Unit Lead in developing and implementing innovative, evidence-based practice and contribute to workforce development.
• Reporting: Prepare high-quality reports and represent the service at meetings and forums as required

Qualifications

• Level 4 or above qualification in a relevant field (e.g., Social Work, Youth Work, Education, Guidance, or equivalent)
• To have proven post-qualification experience working with children, young people, and families.

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of child development, adolescent risk, safeguarding, and trauma-informed approaches.
• Familiarity with early help frameworks, assessment tools, and relevant legislation.

Skills

• Excellent communication, leadership, and people management skills.
• Ability to assess risk, develop and review plans, and manage complex situations.
• Strong organisational, problem-solving, and multi-agency partnership skills.
• Ability to work flexibly, including travel and occasional out-of-hours work.

Personal Qualities

• Compassionate, resilient, and committed to empowering families and supporting colleagues.
• Motivated, collaborative, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, people-focused environment.

Criteria

• Experience in supervising or mentoring staff.
• Additional training in safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, or family intervention.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

For further information, please contact:

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KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.