Family Support Practitioner

Job Introduction

Job/Person Summary

We are a small school with big opportunities! Icknield is a special school for pupils with severe learning difficulties aged 3-19 years. We have achieved and maintained an OFSTED outstanding grade. However, the true beauty of our school is that we are a small site and everyone here is part of the close knit ‘Icknield Family’. We all know all of our children, each other and every individual in our family is valued and cared for.

We are highly ambitious for our pupils and we follow our own personalised curriculum based on developing key attributes needed to maximise pupil’s ability to have a positive influence on and control over their own lives: PPICC (Personal, Physical, Independence, Cognition and Communication).

Our school’s strap line is ‘Your journey matters’ and that is true for both pupils and staff. The Senior Leadership Team are passionate about helping their staff to develop and drive positive change.

Due to the retirement of our current post holder, we are seeking a compassionate, skilled and committed Family Support Practitioner to lead family support within our school. This is a pivotal role supporting our pupils and their families, strengthening home–school relationships, and contributing to the wider safeguarding team.

About the Role

The successful candidate will:

• Act as a key link between school and external agencies, including liaison with Social Care and attendance at CIN meetings, Child Protection conferences and other multi-agency meetings.
• Lead and facilitate family support meetings and act as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) within the school.
• Work collaboratively with parents to build positive, trusting relationships.
• Provide guidance to parents on managing challenging behaviours using positive strategies, clear boundaries and consistent routines.
• Offer practical advice, emotional support and open, non-judgemental communication—empowering parents to feel confident in supporting their children.
• Signpost families to relevant community support networks, services and resources.
• Facilitate workshops and deliver 1:1 sessions to help build parental confidence and skills.
• Communicate professionally and effectively with both parents and a range of external professionals.

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

• Warm, compassionate and empathetic, with the resilience to manage challenging situations.
• Able to remain calm and composed, providing stability and clarity during periods of family difficulty.
• Confident in having challenging conversations when required.
• Positive, proactive and able to work independently as well as part of a supportive team.
• Skilled at building relationships and creating a safe, supportive environment for families.

We welcome applications from candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, including those with experience in mainstream settings, social care, family support, and special educational needs. Experience is less important than aptitude, professionalism and enthusiasm. Flexible working arrangements could be available and some out-of-hours working/additional hours may at times be required.

Why Join Us?

You will be joining a warm, dedicated team who are committed to supporting every child and family. A full transition period will be provided alongside the current post holder to ensure a smooth handover.

Visits Welcome

We encourage prospective candidates to visit the school and meet our team.

Please contact: sarah.greenwood@icknield.hants.sch.uk for a recruitment pack.

Safer Recruitment

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.