Overview
The Early Support pathway within TESS provides timely, short-term therapeutic intervention and early relational support aimed at strengthening placements, stabilising care responses, and supporting the emotional needs of children and young people at the earliest possible point. This part of the service is fast‑paced, creative and highly relational. Practitioners offer:
* Short‑term, focused therapeutic work for children and young people
* Early relational support to parents, carers and residential teams
* Consultation and guidance to the broader network around the child
* Advice on care responses, emotional regulation and trauma‑informed practice
* Collaborative early formulation to guide planning, stabilisation and future intervention
* Flexible and brief interventions designed to reduce escalation and promote placement stability
This is a unique opportunity to apply therapeutic social work skills in an early‑help, preventative model, ensuring that emotional needs are recognised and responded to early, effectively and compassionately.
Role Description
As a TESS Therapeutic Social Worker, you will:
* Deliver high‑quality, trauma‑informed, attachment‑focused interventions
* Provide early and brief therapeutic support to children, young people, parents, carers and residential staff
* Offer consultation, advice and emotional support to the care network
* Contribute to therapeutic assessments, early formulations and care planning
* Use creative engagement approaches including play‑based, relational and non‑traditional methods
* Support emotional regulation, resilience and stabilisation
* Work collaboratively across multi‑agency networks – including social care, health, education and residential services
* Access training and CPD across established therapeutic models
* Participate in regular individual and group supervision
* Benefit from a strong staff well‑being and reflective practice culture
* Support a leadership that values innovation, creativity and practitioner development
* Promote a collaborative team ethos grounded in trauma‑informed relational practice
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a unique, value‑led service where creativity is encouraged and early support is central to improving outcomes for children, young people and their carers. If you are positive, passionate and committed to making a difference, especially through early support, short‑term therapeutic intervention and consultative practice with carers and the wider network, we would love to hear from you.
Qualifications
* Experience supporting children and young people in care
* Therapeutic skills grounded in trauma‑informed, attachment‑based and relational approaches
* Confidence working with emotional complexity, risk and uncertainty
* Value of creativity, collaboration and reflective practice
* Ability to build strong, trusting relationships with young people, carers and professionals
* Passion for early support, short‑term intervention and consultative practice
* Motivation by evidence‑based practice and ongoing learning
Why Join Us?
* Impactful Work – be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children
* Supportive Environment – enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued
* Career Development – benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career
* Generous Benefits – take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme and additional benefits
Equal Opportunities and Safeguarding
We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us, but it will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence. To assess suitability, a DBS check (Standard, Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List) will be required, with the level determined by the specific responsibilities and level of contact with children and young people.
We reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.
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