Family Support Practitioner in Banbridge

Salary £25,000 pro rata for 22.2 hrs per week

Vetting Level Required: Access NI Children

Location: Based in our office in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Contract/Hours: Permanent/Part-Time, working 22.2 hours a week. Days can be flexible.

29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays pro rata, 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.

Vulnerable children in the UK need your help. Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you will be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK. Last year, we helped more than 687,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.

Why Action for Children? Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It’s the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

A bit about the role: A Family Support Practitioner’s role will be to primarily offer support to young carers through providing respite activities and offering one-to-one support in relation to their caring role. They will help and advise Young Carers and their families in signposting to other appropriate agencies and support the young carer where they can. This may include advocating on their behalf, attending meetings and presenting information to professionals to highlight the role of the young carer and how it can impact them. Along with this, being able to work as part of a team in planning and organising activities and considering the needs of the young person is paramount.

How you’ll help to create brighter futures: Some key responsibilities of the Family Support Practitioner role are:

• Adhering to the Risk and safety of all children that come into our service and be aware of the safeguarding of each young person.
• Be aware of the general issues and concerns that affect young people currently and be open for training if required.
• Attend internal and external meetings as directed by your line manager and collaborate and work in partnership with all statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Being able to present information and facts regarding young carers to varied professional groups is also a part of the Family Support Practitioner role.
• Be clear on the importance of keeping files up to date as required by the organisation.

Let’s talk about you: Ideally you will have:

• Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 3 or above or equivalent/related health, counselling, or social care qualification.
• Experience of direct work/engagement with children and families.
• Good report writing skills.
• Good working knowledge of safeguarding.
• Excellent IT skills including use of Microsoft (Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
• Registration or the willingness to register with NISCC.
• Must have a UK Driving Licence as travel is required for the role.

Contact: recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 12422.

Closing Date: Tuesday 20th January 2026.

Interviews are planned to be held week commencing Monday 26th January 2026 face to face in Banbridge, County Down.

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.

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.

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.