Parenting and Early Years Specialist Practitioner

Join Tyre Hill House, an aspirational residential family centre providing assessment and support for parents and children who need intensive, round-the-clock support while questions about parenting capacity, child safety and sustainable care are understood. Many of the families who come to Tyre Hill will have experienced adversity, trauma, care experience, domestic abuse, mental health difficulty, substance misuse, learning needs or social isolation. Our aim is to provide assessments that are safe, fair, structured and child-centred, while also giving parents clear support, teaching and feedback. We are strengthening our multidisciplinary model around families. This includes residential family support, social work assessment, psychology, parenting and early years expertise, domestic abuse, substance misuse, and dedicated support for care-experienced parents.

Role Purpose

The Parenting and Early Years Specialist Practitioner will provide specialist parenting, early years and child development expertise within Tyre Hill House's evidence-led residential family assessment and change model. The postholder will support parents to understand and respond to their child's developmental, emotional and practical care needs, while contributing to the assessment of parenting skill, consistency, insight, learning, routines and capacity to sustain safe care. The role combines direct parenting work, modelling, coaching, developmental guidance, practical support, consultation, contribution to formulation, recording and specialist input into final analysis and recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

• Parenting, early years and child development assessment
• Parenting intervention and practical support
• Contribution to parenting assessment and capacity to change
• Contribution to the Tyre Hill model
• Safeguarding and regulatory responsibilities
• MDT and formulation responsibilities
• Recording, assessment and evidence responsibilities
• Consultation, staff support and workforce development

Person Specification

Essential experience, knowledge and skills required:

• Experience of working as a parenting practitioner, family practitioner, early years practitioner, family support practitioner, children's centre practitioner or equivalent
• A Level 4 qualification or above in childcare, early years, education, health, social care, parenting and family work, or a related field
• Experience of providing structured parenting support to parents and carers
• Experience of modelling, coaching or teaching practical parenting skills
• Experience of working with babies, infants, young children and families where complexity, vulnerability or disadvantage is present
• Strong knowledge of child development, early years, attachment, routines, play, stimulation, safe care and parenting practice
• Understanding of the impact of parenting, routines, responsiveness and emotional availability on the child's lived experience
• Experience of delivering or contributing to parenting programmes, groups or individual parenting sessions
• Ability to contribute to parenting assessment, capacity to change and sustainability analysis
• Experience of working within multi-agency or multidisciplinary settings
• Ability to provide consultation and advice to non-specialist colleagues
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information clearly
• Strong written skills, including assessment, support planning and report contributions
• Understanding of safeguarding children and adults at risk
• Ability to work with parents who may feel scrutinised, ashamed, fearful, defensive, ambivalent or mistrustful
• Ability to adapt communication and parenting support for parents with learning needs, neurodivergence or trauma histories
• Commitment to anti-discriminatory, inclusive and culturally sensitive practice
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries in an emotionally demanding residential environment
• Ability to use supervision and reflective practice appropriately
• Commitment to evidence-informed practice and continuous learning

Qualifications

Essential:

• Level 4 qualification or above in childcare, early years, education, health, social care, parenting and family work, or a related field
• Safeguarding children training at an appropriate level
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to parenting, child development, safeguarding, family support or early years practice

Working Arrangements

We welcome applications from candidates seeking a range of working patterns and contracted hours. Applicants should indicate their preferred number of working days within their application. We are open to considering a variety of arrangements and are keen to build a team with complementary skills, experience and availability. The final mix of appointments and contracted hours will be determined following recruitment and agreed in line with service requirements and the approved staffing budget.

Next Steps

For further information, please contact Julie Elias for a full job description. To apply, please send your CV and accompanying letter outlining how you meet the requirements for the role. The role will require a full disclosure barring service (DBS). Closing date for applications is Thursday 2 July 2026. We reserve the right to close applications earlier.