Family Support Lead.
Salary: £27,800 per annum (From 1st April £28,078 per annum) pro rata.
Location: Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Contract/Hours: Permanent, Part Time (working 35 hours a week).
Benefits:
* 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays pro rata, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave
* Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
* Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
* Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
* Staff discounts and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts.
Vulnerable children in the UK need your help
Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.
Last year, we helped more than 687,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.
Why Action for Children?
Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.
About the role
Join the team at Waterside Sure Start – Supporting Families, Shaping Futures
Are you passionate about helping children thrive in their early years?
Do you have the leadership skills to guide a dedicated team and make a real impact on families' lives?
Waterside Sure Start is funded by the Department of Education, delivers high‑quality early years support to children aged 0–4 and their families across six local catchment areas. Our work focuses on early learning, child health, and positive family relationships.
How you'll help to create brighter futures
As Family Support Lead, you will play a key role in improving outcomes for young children by supporting and guiding our family support team. You will:
* Lead, supervise, and mentor family support staff.
* Facilitate team meetings and formal supervision.
* Contribute to service planning and development.
* Provide direct support to families.
* Write and contribute to service reports.
* Measure and present impact and outcomes.
* Work closely with the Service Coordinator to ensure smooth service delivery.
Let's talk about you
A confident leader with strong communication skills, experience working with families, and solid knowledge of child protection. You should be committed to high‑quality practice, collaborative working, and achieving positive outcomes for children under four.
* Working within a multi-agency social care, early years or health environment.
* Experience of managing cases, in accordance with agreed procedures and completing assessments.
* Ability to keep the child and or young people as the focus.
* Ability to communicate effectively.
* Working knowledge of an outcome-based approach to planning, delivering and reviewing services.
* Demonstrable prioritising and organising skills.
* Producing concise and accurate reports.
* Utilising management systems and databases.
* Ability to lead, direct and supervise and where necessary to manage and deliver operational services.
Contact: email us at quoting reference 12650.
Closing Date: Thursday 5th March 2026
Please note: Interviews are planned to week commencing 9th March 2026.
Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.
Talent Pool
We know talent when we see it. But sometimes we find the right person but not for the right job. We'd love to keep your details for when the right job comes up. Let us know if you'd rather we didn't.
To be eligible for this position you must complete an Access Ni Enhanced Disclosure
Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position.
A copy of the Access Ni Code of Practice can be found here.
Policies on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders & Access Ni Disclosure Handing Policy are also available on demand.
Diversity, equality and inclusion
At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.
Male staff are under-represented within our Children Service roles. We would like to encourage more male applicants for our Children Service roles.
Don't meet every single requirement?
If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, we'd love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within the Action for Children family.
Want to know more about Action for Children?
Find us on Linkedin, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.
Job Description
See below for further information about working with us:
Action for Children Employee Benefits
AfC Commitment Statement
Action for Children Northern Ireland Booklet