Families Together Practitioner

About Barnet Council

Barnet is a borough with much to be proud of. Our excellent schools, vibrant town centres, vast green spaces and diverse communities all help make it a great place to live and work. As a council we want to build on these strengths as we move into the future. We are growing and developing as an organisation to meet the challenges facing our borough and we are committed to working with partner organisations and residents to make Barnet even better. Our staff are committed to Our Values: Learning to Improve, Caring, Inclusive, Collaborative – which drive everything we do.

About the Role

In Barnet we are looking for practitioners who are reflective, proactive, resilient and able to deliver purposeful work to make a positive difference with our families and communities. The Families Together Practitioner is a new post designed to help families navigate complex situations, ensuring that the best interests of the children are always prioritised. The practitioner will work closely with family members, children, social workers and other stakeholders to assist family-led decision making to develop and implement effective plans that promote the well-being and safety of children. By fostering collaboration and empowering families, the practitioner ensures that decisions are made with a comprehensive understanding of each family's unique circumstances and needs.

The new post would also collaborate with social workers and other professionals to develop comprehensive family plans, manage associated risks, ensure that the wishes and feelings of children and young people are central to the process and ensure that the work progresses within timescales. In light of the recent care reforms and the evolving duties of local authorities as outlined by the Department for Education, the role of a Families Together Practitioner is crucial. This role aligns with the strategic vision to enhance family support and ensure the well-being of children and families within our community. The FTP ensures that families are actively involved in decision-making processes, which is essential for creating effective and sustainable care plans. By focusing on early intervention and family-led solutions, the role of a FTP can help reduce the long-term costs associated with crisis interventions and out-of-home placements.

About You – You will have:

• Experience working with children, young people and/or families, particularly in roles related to child protection, social work, or family support services.
• Experience dealing with complex family dynamics and crisis situations.
• Experience of working collaboratively with professionals to enable effective joint working and positive outcomes for families.
• The ability to undertake complex meetings and act as a lead professional, delivering direct interventions and co-ordinating services for children, young people and families.
• A good working knowledge and understanding of legislation, policy, procedure and guidance in relation to social care and wider children’s services.
• The ability to deal with sensitive issues, manage conflicting views and expectations and cope with unpredictable issues and behaviours.
• Ability to demonstrate effective liaison and partnership working across a wide range of stakeholders, including but not limited to: Children’s Social Care, Health, Education, Youth Justice and the voluntary community and private sectors.

What We Offer

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays.
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents.
• Work-life balance options may include hybrid working, flexitime, job share, home working, part-time.
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more.
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership.
• Excellent training and development opportunities.
• Employee well-being training programs including confidential employee assistance.

How To Apply

Read the job description and person specification before clicking ‘Apply’ to commence the online application form. If you would like any further information about the role before applying, please contact Alastir Fabian (Assistant head of Service) at alastair.fabian@barnet.gov.uk.

Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures, which may include AI Detection Screening, Biometric ID/Right to Work Checks, Qualification and Registration Checks, up to 6 years of Employment Data and Insights to Accelerate Screening (Konfir), up to 5 years of Employment History References, DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Checks, Credit Checks and Social Media, Sanctions and Occupational Health Screening.

To deliver Barnet Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity in the provision of services, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. As such we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part-time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work-life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking. Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process.

We support the access to work scheme; further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply. All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed. Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible. Please ensure you regularly check the email account (including JUNK MAIL folders) that you use to submit your application, as any further communication regarding your application will be sent electronically. Should you not hear from us within four working weeks of the closing date for this post, then regretfully in this instance, you have not been shortlisted.