Children In Care (CIC) Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner

This is work that helps rebuild trust. As a Children In Care Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner, you will support children in care who have faced instability, loss and trauma. Your role is to walk alongside them with compassion and purpose, creating safe spaces where they can begin to feel heard, valued and understood.

You’ll be part of a small, specialist team working across mental health, social care and lived experience, where support is shaped around the individual and not the system. You will offer early intervention, one to one sessions, group work and therapeutic planning that puts young people at the centre.

Alongside this, you’ll work with carers and professionals to build their confidence in responding to emotional need. You will act as a keyworker, advocate and steady point of connection, helping to stabilise placements, reduce disruption and support healing relationships that make a difference.

This is a service rooted in trust, empathy and collaboration, with a shared belief that things can change when the right support is in place. If you want to use your skills to help children in care, feel safer, stronger and more hopeful about their future, we want to hear from you.

You bring calm, empathy and emotional confidence, and you’re ready to use those strengths to support young people who may not have had many stable or trusted adults in their lives. You understand the impact of trauma, and you know that connection is often the first step towards healing.

You’ll bring:

• A relevant qualification in youth work, psychology, social work or counselling (NVQ Level 4 or above)
• Experience working with children in care or those with emotional or behavioural needs
• Strong safeguarding awareness and confidence working within multi agency settings
• The ability to assess risk, plan and deliver emotional wellbeing interventions
• A way of building rapport that helps children and carers feel safe and understood

You’ll need to be organised, reflective and able to travel across the surrounding areas. If you can show up consistently, be a steady presence, and help young people feel seen without judgement, you belong here. This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present, human and willing to walk alongside those who need it most.

Compass is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. Established for over 30 years, Compass is a national charity which works in communities across the UK providing services spanning substance misuse treatment and rehabilitation, early interventions for vulnerable young people, school-aged health programmes and associated prevention as well as treatment and health promotion initiatives.

All Compass posts are subject to appropriate level DBS checks. We positively encourage applications from all members of the community, regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age, or sexual orientation, and encourage applications from people who have experiences in life which enrich skills and empathy. This is part of our commitment to equality and developing a truly inclusive and representative workforce. We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments individuals may require in the recruitment process, on commencement, or once in post.

We offer a range of benefits including:

• 27 days holiday + bank holidays, rising to 32 days over time (pro rata)
• Life assurance at 2 x basic salary
• Competitive contributory pension scheme
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and OH service
• Enhanced sick pay
• Excellent learning & development opportunities and career progression
• Annual performance/salary review

Help us to make a positive change to the lives of children and young people!