Parenting Practitioner

Parenting Practitioner

£38,934 - £40,755 per annum. Grade: SO2

Hours per Week: 36

Nature of Employment: Permanent

DBS Required: Enhanced

Location: Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 3EB.

Job Reference: R

About us at Hounslow

We'd love you to join us at the London Borough of Hounslow! Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be.

We are an outstanding council, serving an outstanding borough. With brilliant, visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can-do culture, we've built strong partnerships which have transformed how we serve one of London's most diverse boroughs. Hounslow is the world in one place and full of potential. We are stepping up for our residents like never before.

About our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We live by five core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. All our work has equality, diversity and inclusion at its very heart, best articulated in "Harness the Mix". It's about breaking down barriers between our parts and people and unlocking the problem-solving power of our amazing mix of minds. We serve a diverse community; we have a diverse workforce, and we are committed to being an inclusive employer.

We work hard to create representation across our workforce and leadership community, we have thriving employee network groups and our learning and development programmes help us lead, model and breathe ways of working that eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias.

As part of this and under our commitments as a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates. There's space for you to tell us what you need within our application form.

Our Benefits

If you join us, you'll have access to a range of employee benefits. Read more about these on our website.

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of the Specialist Intensive Support Programme. We are a multidisciplinary team benefitting from the joint knowledge and experience of parenting practitioners, advanced social workers, clinical psychologist, and systemic family therapists. In the role of parenting practitioner in SISP you will be afforded the opportunity to hone skills in systemic practice and develop your own area of specialist knowledge/expertise within your role and professional responsibilities.

The post requires you to work closely and collaboratively with other team members and to contribute to compiling specialist parenting assessments for court and in pre proceedings. There is further opportunity to develop your skills working creatively in time limited evidence-based child focused interventions aimed at preventing children from becoming LAC.

In SISP your professional skills can be enhanced and developed whilst working as part of a highly motivated and supportive team where all contributions are valued, and supervision and training is prioritised.

Parenting practitioners are encouraged to take up relevant training such as parent asses or NVR to enhance their professional development.

About the Team You'll Be Working In

SISP is well established multidisciplinary team providing a wide range of services to children and their families in the London Borough of Hounslow. The team has been established in the borough for over twelve years. It is positioned within Children's Specialist Services. SISP offers specialist interventions to families i.e., independent parenting assessments for court or PLO; psychological assessments, parenting support and therapeutic services led by the systemic family therapist. The team utilises a range of evidence-based practices in their work, PAMs Together and Apart Assessment, Parent Assess Model, child and adult psychology, systemic family psychotherapy and social work.

The team is a supportive and collaborative one, with regular access to high quality reflective individual, group, and clinical supervision. There exists a well-established method of co working alongside carefully managed caseloads means that staff retention and job satisfaction are both reported to be positive.

About You

The parenting practitioner plays a key role within the team by supporting the lead assessor to produce high quality parenting assessments for court and in pre proceedings. The PP concentrates their knowledge and experience on assessing the practical parenting skills/capacity and style of each parent involved.

The Parenting Practitioner plays a key role in the team's delivery of Prevent Lac services to families using a range of evidence-based models and strategies to assist and develop parenting strengths and new skills.

The Parenting Practitioners are also involved in the team's weekly systemic group supervision regularly presenting their cases to the wider team for advice and analysis.

In line with SISP's systemic practice the PPs frequently work jointly alongside the family therapist, clinical psychologist, and parenting practitioners to address the complex needs of the children and families referred to the team.

This is an independent non-case holding role set within Children's Services.

Key Responsibilities:

1. To hold a mixed caseload of assessments and interventions, working with 6 to 8 families at a time.
2. To be involved in the collaborative process of undertaking parenting as directed, within pre-proceeding, care proceedings, and in pre-birth cases.
3. To co -work with assigned SISPcolleagues; take advice in implementing clinical interventions and basic care strategies with children and their families. This can be in various settings including the family home, the community and online.
4. To work flexibly and creatively with a range of complex family dynamics and needs, including working early morning and evenings on weekdays to fit case requirements.
5. To effectively engage families/children subject to Child Protection plans or Court Proceedings.
6. To give evidence in the Family Proceedings Court when required.
7. To maintain records to a high standard, evidencing the progress of the work undertaken with families.
8. To be able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and actively attend/contribute to group supervision case discussions.
9. To understand and apply knowledge of child development, carer/child interactions and parenting practices/models.
10. Be able to devise and implement plans for intervention and offer care/support to families, including being able to evidence progress of change.
11. To be culturally aware when engaging with families within Hounslow's diverse population.
12. To have sound working knowledge of all forms of child abuse and neglect and the consequent risks posed to children.

Your Skills:

1. To have a sound knowledge of child development and the quality of care a child needs to thrive be safe and reach their potential.
2. An understanding of the impact of mental health, domestic abuse, criminality, and substance abuse are likely to have upon parenting.
3. To be a good team player.
4. To be a good communicator.
5. To be able to work creatively, sensitively, and resourcefully with families who may be resistant to change.
6. Enthusiasm and a commitment to make good use of supervision and learn from others.

Read more about the work you'll be doing in the Role Profile.

Qualifications:

The following qualifications/experience are preferred rather than required.

• BA social work / NVQ in Childcare and Social Care or equivalent.
• Youth Work qualification.
• Experience in working with children and families in settings such as a nursery, children's centre, school/education setting.

Essential for the Role:

Enhanced DBS

We value diversity in its broadest sense. We're committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves, give of their best and reach their full potential. We believe that a diverse workforce helps us to better understand our communities and deliver the best services for our residents. We want to receive applications from all regardless of age, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, or social economic background. We want to harness the mix and ensure that everybody can apply and be part of our recruitment processes. We will therefore make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates.

If working in this specialist, creative and well supported team; where the child and their wellbeing are always held in focus, resonates with you, then SISP would love to hear from you.

The key information you need about the role should be in the role profile, but if you have any further questions about the role, please contact:

Email:

Telephone:

Interviews for this job will be held week commencing 10th March 2025.

Closing Date: 26th February 2025.

Apply link: