Family Help Lead Practitioner - Social Worker

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Grade H. Scale 29 - £39,862 to Scale 34 - £45,091 with a professional bar at Scale 31 - £41,771**

Hours Per Week: 36 (flexible working options are welcome)

Base Location: Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL6 6BH

Assessment Date: Friday 5^th June 2026

To apply for this role please upload your CV together with a supporting statement that provides evidence of how you meet the essential requirements of the person specification.

Please also include details of your education and training and employment history and any reference to your qualifications that are specified on the person specification within your CV/supporting statement.

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and families? Do you bring compassion, curiosity, collaboration, conversation, and courage to your practice? If so, Tameside is looking for you.

The Role

We are looking for Family Help Lead Practitioners Social Work qualified to support children, young people and their families in our newly formed Family Help Service.

You will provide our families with high quality support and respond to their individual needs as required. You will support families to develop solutions to their needs and provide high levels of intervention to keep children and young people with their families.

You will support children and young people who are identified as children in need and ensure that appropriate plans are in place to meet families’ individual needs effectively enabling families to make positive and sustained changes.

You will receive regular supervision and work in a supportive culture where we are ambitious about delivering effective social work practice and supporting you to be the very best you can be.

Our new staff are telling us that the refreshed Children’s Services induction program is GREAT and the most comprehensive they have seen. We are really proud to hear that staff are feeling valued and included. You can also expect dedicated time to observe practice and complete introductory learning and development.

About You

Ideally, you will be an experienced or Social Worker with substantial previous childcare social work experience. With good needs assessment and risk assessment skills you will be able to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary system, as well as in a team across the service and with other agencies.

We are also accepting applications from newly qualified Social Workers, who can demonstrate a high level of skill and experience working with children and families. Our ASYE Social Workers will be supported through their first few years of practice by our dedicated Social Work Academy.

Be that difference and find out more information why you should work for us here

About Us

Message from Jill Colbert, Director of Children’s Services

“I joined the council at the beginning of 2025 and was instantly charmed by the warmth, openness, and energy of colleagues.

“I came to Tameside for one reason; because I know we can do fantastic things for our families here.

“We’re a children’s service on a significant improvement journey. We know what needs to be different for our children and families and we’re ambitious to deliver that change.

“We have a growing range of specialist services for children, where you can test and grow your skills and practice. We have a Social Work Academy that is led by people who bring passion to learning and who know that the DCS’ of the future are right in front of them. We are working on our progression pathways so that staying in Tameside is rewarded and recognised. We have investment in innovation and improvement from the council so that we can grow services and support for families that we can sustain, from family hubs through to complex safeguarding.

“I am so certain that we can build a proud, inclusive and safe climate for great practice to flourish in Tameside. I’d love you to join me on the journey here at Team Tameside.”

Our Heart of Support Practice Approach

At Tameside, we believe in:

• Compassion understanding the lived experiences of children and families.
• Curiosity asking questions that lead to deeper insight and better outcomes for children.
• Collaboration working together across services to deliver joined-up support.
• Conversation listening and engaging meaningfully with children, families and professionals.
• Courage leading with courage, making bold and compassionate decisions that put children first.

At Tameside, we are committed to ensuring all our Citizens lead long, fulfilling and healthy lives. We are committed to supporting economic growth, providing high quality health and care services, protecting our most vulnerable and creating strong and supportive, self-sufficient communities.

We recognise that our people drive our success and enable the organisation to deliver on its vision, purpose and priorities, and that our people are our most important resource and asset. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours, and are at the heart of everything that we do; and we understand that how we do things is just as important as what we do. We pride ourselves on living by our STRIVE values of Support, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Value Diversity and Engage. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours and are at the heart of everything that we do. How we do things are just as important as what we do.

Our employees’ skills, experience and knowledge are essential to our success along with their happiness, wellbeing, commitment, enthusiasm and motivation to be the best they can be.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. This post requires an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

All appointments will be to the bottom salary point in the grade with annual incremental progression each April until the grade maximum is reached. Where an individual can provide evidence that their existing salary in a relevant role surpasses the grade starting salary, a higher entry salary will be considered, subject to the professional grade development criteria also being met if that point is higher than the bar point.

** This post is classified as being in a professional job category. As such the grade for the job has a professional grade development bar which employees can progress through subject to meeting the following criteria:

1. Relevant professional qualification for the job role at Level 6 or above, AND

2. Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in the role, AND

3. Maintained membership of a regulated body where this is a requirement to practice in the role where applicable, AND

4. Professional standards practised to the highest expected level.

This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are committed to developing a culture which respects individuals, appreciates difference and allows everyone regardless of background to reach their full potential. We are proud to be an accredited disability confident employer. Reasonable Adjustments will be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the Job Role Criteria.

Our rewards and benefits package can be viewed here

For further information about this role please contact the recruiting manager on 0161 342 4366 or daniel.murphy@tameside.gov.uk