Family Support Practitioner
London Borough of Islington
About The Role
If you are passionate about improving outcomes for children and families through early intervention, relationship-based practice and whole-family support, this is an exciting opportunity to join our Family Help Service.
Family Help is central to the national reforms for children's social care, bringing together early help, targeted family support and multi-agency collaboration to provide the right support at the right time. This role offers the opportunity to work within an innovative and evolving service that focuses on building family strengths, preventing escalation of need and creating sustainable change for children and their families.
Working within a trauma-informed and motivational framework, you will support families to identify what matters most to them, build on their existing strengths and access the support they need to overcome challenges and improve outcomes.
Main Duties of the Job
As a Family Help Family Support Practitioner, you will provide timely, flexible and responsive support to children, young people and their families, ensuring that help is delivered at the earliest opportunity to prevent difficulties from escalating.
You will hold and manage a caseload of families with a wide range of needs, from those requiring practical support and advice to families experiencing multiple and complex challenges. Working in partnership with children, parents, carers and partner agencies, you will undertake whole-family assessments, identify strengths and needs, and develop Family Help plans that are outcome-focused and family-led.
The role involves delivering direct support through home visits, community-based interventions, Family Hubs and Children's Centres, adapting your approach to meet the needs of individual families. You will engage wider family members, community resources and professional networks to strengthen protective factors and build family resilience.
You will work collaboratively with education, health, social care and voluntary sector partners to coordinate support, monitor progress and ensure that families receive the right help at the right time. Through effective relationship-based practice, you will empower families to develop sustainable solutions, improve family functioning and achieve positive long-term outcomes for children.
Working for the Organisation
Bright Start 0-5 provides integrated support to families with children from conception to five years, with early intervention, prevention and family wellbeing at the heart of our approach.
This role sits within a locality-based Family Help Team, operating from our Best Start Family Hubs and Children's Centres. Family Hubs are at the centre of our vision to provide accessible, joined-up support for children, young people and families, ensuring services are delivered collaboratively and are responsive to local needs.
Our teams provide universal, targeted and intensive support to families, offering advice, guidance and practical interventions, as well as longer-term work with families experiencing multiple and complex needs. We are committed to helping children thrive, strengthening family relationships and supporting communities to become more resilient.
You will be joining a forward-thinking service that embraces innovation, values professional development and is committed to continuous improvement. Be a part of a service that Ofsted rated outstanding in 2025 and where we are always looking for creative ways to further improve our services to children and families. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates to help ensure our workforce reflects and understands the diverse communities we serve.
We are seeking applicants who have demonstrable experience of holding a caseload of families, undertaking whole-family assessments and developing outcome-focused plans.
Working for the team, service and our organisation
Islington is a place rich with diversity and culture. As a council our sense of purpose couldn’t be clearer: we serve. It’s in the logo. We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Together we can change the future.
We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive.
To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out ‘CARE’, which is what we think public service is all about.
- Up to 31 days leave per year, increasing to 36 days after five years of local government service
- A range of flexible working arrangements to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as well as a 35-hour working week
- Learning and development opportunities to maximise your potential
- Competitive pay and a commitment to paying all staff the London Living Wage at minimum
- Excellent local government pension scheme
- Cycle to Work scheme and discounted gym memberships
- Local discounts from restaurants, shops, health and beauty therapists, and more!
We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to any unlawful discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on the grounds of any protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act, including but not limited to race, disability, sexual orientation, sex, religion and belief, age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity. Any incidents of discrimination will be promptly investigated and addressed in line with our HR policies to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all colleagues.
We use data to identify and address disparities, ensuring that our policies and practices are transparent and impactful in promoting a diverse representation of backgrounds and perspectives at all levels of the organisation. We look at inequality through an intersectional lens, recognising that different aspects of someone’s identity can combine to create unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.
We know that advancing diversity and inclusion is a continuous journey, and we must listen to our colleagues and learn where we can further improve. We work closely with our Colleague Forums and Trade Unions, supported by active allies from our Corporate Management Team, to monitor and evaluate our practices, identify barriers, and empower colleagues to promote equality and inclusion in the workplace.
Every one of us has a role to play in making Islington Council a truly inclusive workplace. By living out our CARE (collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering) values every day and embedding the principles of equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our work, we can all actively contribute to empowering people and creating a more equal Islington.
Pre‑Employment Checks
Any offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of required pre‑employment checks. These may include:
- Proof of address
- Evidence of any name changes (if applicable)
- Right to work in the UK
- Overseas criminal record check (if applicable)
- Satisfactory references
- Occupational Health clearance
- Evidence of professional qualifications or registrations
- DBS check at the appropriate level (if applicable)
