Parent support worker jobs in Newcastle

Senior Young Dads Worker (Neurodiverse)

About NEYDL

North East Young Dads and Lads (NEYDL) was founded in 2017 and has grown rapidly to become one of the UK’s most recognised organisations supporting young dads, men aged 25 and under in a fathering role. Our vision is for young dads to be valued and supported as parents. In 2024/25 we supported 217 young dads directly and achieved 100% satisfaction among the young dads we work with.

We are a non-judgmental organisation built on mutual trust, respect and honesty. Many of our staff are young dads themselves or have lived experience relevant to the communities we serve.

About this role

We use the term ‘young dads’ to refer to young dads, expectant dads and non-birthing partners aged 25 and under. This includes people within this age bracket who self-identify as father figures, including kinship carers and non-birthing partners.

We use the term ‘neurodiverse’ as an inclusive term covering young dads who are autistic, have ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia or other forms of neurodivergence, whether formally diagnosed, self-identified or awaiting assessment. We recognise that neurodivergent young dads can face additional barriers in accessing parenting support, including in how services are structured, communicated and delivered, and that these barriers are often compounded by stigma, exclusion or a lack of appropriate adjustment.

This is a dedicated role to ensure neurodivergent young dads can access the high quality support NEYDL offers, and that our wider service offer is genuinely accessible to them. You will provide direct, adapted support to neurodivergent young dads, while also building NEYDL’s organisational understanding of how to work effectively and inclusively with this group.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a motivated and experienced worker with a genuine understanding of neurodivergence and its impact on young fathers, and the ability to adapt support, communication and activities accordingly. You will be a confident networker, able to build relationships with both young dads and the services and organisations that support neurodivergent people across the North East.

We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of neurodivergence, either personally or as a parent or carer of a neurodivergent child, and from people with lived experience of young fatherhood.

What we offer

NEYDL is a close, inclusive and supportive team that actively invests in the development of its staff. We are a non-judgmental organisation built on mutual trust, respect and honesty. If you join us, you will be part of a team that genuinely believes in what it does.

In addition, we offer:

• 7.2 weeks’ annual leave per year (pro rata), inclusive of statutory and public holidays

• 5% employer pension contribution

• A flexible hybrid working arrangement

• Regular supervision and fortnightly team meetings

• Funded professional development and training

• Mileage paid at 55p per mile for business travel

How to apply

To apply, please send your CV (no more than four pages, including two references who can be contacted if successful) and either:

• A covering letter of no more than two sides of A4 (Arial, size 12)

• Or a video of no more than four minutes

In your application, please address:

• What excites you most about this role and how it connects to your skills and experience, bearing in mind the person specification

• What relevant lived experience you would bring to this role

• What experience of engaging with neurodivergent young people, families or communities you would bring to this role

Applications must be received by midnight, Sunday 16 August. 

Shortlisting: 17 & 18 August. Interviews: Friday 21 August.

NEYDL is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from people with lived experience relevant to the communities we serve.

Are you an experienced practitioner with a passion for empowering young people and making a difference?

At NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service), we are dedicated to making a lasting impact on the lives of children, young people, and adults at risk. We believe no child or young person should ever be alone or voiceless in the care system, in family court, or when decisions are being made about their future.

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Senior Practitioner to join Project Unity England, working 28 hours per week. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver intensive, trauma-informed support to care-experienced young mothers who are pregnant or have recently given birth, helping families stay together and supporting young mothers to build positive futures.

About Project Unity England

Project Unity England is an innovative national initiative focused on improving outcomes for care-experienced young mothers and their children through collaborative, multi-agency working. The project aims to keep families together, strengthen service delivery, promote innovation and ensure that local needs are addressed effectively across England.

At the heart of Project Unity is a collaborative approach that brings together local authorities, health partners and community organisations to provide coordinated, community-focused support. By working closely with partner agencies, Project Unity helps ensure young mothers receive the right support at the right time, enabling them to make informed decisions and achieve the best possible outcomes for themselves and their children.

About the role

As a Senior Practitioner, you will manage a complex caseload, providing independent, rights-based advocacy and one-to-one support to care-experienced young mothers. Working autonomously while supported by the Project Coordinator, you will empower young mothers to understand their rights, navigate statutory processes and make informed decisions that help keep families safely together.

You will build trust, complete assessments, develop support plans and advocate on their behalf within multi-agency settings. You will work alongside social workers, midwives, health visitors and other professionals to ensure each young mother's voice is heard and represented.

Alongside direct casework, you will contribute to peer support groups, workshops and community-based activities that reduce isolation, build confidence and strengthen parenting skills. You will also play an important role in safeguarding, quality assurance and service development by maintaining high-quality records, producing case studies and identifying opportunities to improve local services.

This is a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference to the lives of care-experienced young mothers while working within an innovative, rights-based national programme.

About you

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting vulnerable young people and families. You will be confident working independently while building strong partnerships with professionals across health, social care and the voluntary sector.

You will have experience supporting families or parents with complex social care involvement and a sound understanding of safeguarding, risk assessment and relevant legislation. You will be an effective advocate with excellent communication skills, able to build trusting relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.

You will be organised, resilient and confident managing a demanding caseload, with strong analytical skills and the ability to make sound professional judgements in complex situations.

Above all, you will demonstrate NYAS's values of Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment, sharing our commitment to ensuring children, young people and adults at risk have their voices heard.

How to Apply

Please apply via the the NYAS website. In your application, evidence using specific examples how your skills and experience meet the criteria in the person specification within the attached job description, including:

• Experience with vulnerable young people or families in a social care, advocacy or support setting
• Knowledge of legislation and policy relating to advocacy, safeguarding and children’s social care
• Excellent communication, organisational and report-writing skills, with sound professional judgement

Employee Benefits

We offer the following employee benefits:

• 26 days, increasing to 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Occupational sick pay (subject to completion of qualifying period)
• Enhanced pay for family friendly leave
• Free parking at some of our offices
• Employee assistance programme
• Group stakeholder pension scheme
• Access to BHSF health cash plan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Support and supervision from your line manager
• Learning and Development opportunities

Safeguarding and Compliance

NYAS operates robust safeguarding procedures, and internal candidates will be subject to references in line with our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. In accordance with UK immigration law, proof of eligibility to work in the United Kingdom will be required as part of the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.

About NYAS

NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is an established rights-based charity ensuring that children, young people, and adults across England and Wales are respected, represented and supported in expressing their views. We work with care-experienced people who are often reliant on statutory services, and our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure their voices are heard.

We are an equal opportunities employer and a Disability Confident Employer, guaranteeing an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.

The Charity and The Vision.   

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting military children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. Founded in 2010 by Nikki Scott following the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, the charity offers a unique blend of emotional, practical, and educational support to over 800 young people.  We are currently embarking on an exciting journey which will see the charity evolve to support anyone affected by a military-connected bereavement and ultimately empower a community of more than 25,000 bereaved individuals and their families by 2035. 

We are proud of our vibrant, non-traditional culture, which puts the needs of the bereaved military community at the heart of everything we do. We embrace innovative approaches, are committed to creating smiles and believe in the power of community, resilience, and connection.   

Scotty’s is seeking an experienced bereavement counsellor, with a strong focus on Scotty’s adult community, to join our small but effective team. The role involves supporting adults, and also children and young people affected by bereavement, which may include death in service, illness, or suicide. 

We want everyone affected by military connected bereavement to have: 

• Access to the very best emotional health and wellbeing support.   

• Outstanding development opportunities.   

• The chance to smile again.  

• Confidence and clarity in navigating their entitlements. 

We call these our Promises. Our promises align with our four programmes: START, SMILES, STRIDES and SUPPORT.

• The START Programme ensures that there is a single point of contact for adults who need to gain confidence and clarity in navigating their entitlements following a bereavement. 

• The SMILES Programme provides children and adults with the chance to smile again.

• The STRIDES Programme provides children with outstanding development opportunities.

• The SUPPORT Programme provides the very best emotional health and wellbeing support to children and adults who are struggling to cope following a bereavement.

Our Bereavement Counsellor will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT Programme, delivering online 1:1 and group support to those who need it most.But all four programmes work closely together (we call this the Families team).

Role Mission:

The Scotty’s Bereavement Counsellor will work with our adults, children and families who are struggling with their grief to help them understand their feelings, develop coping skills and build their new life. 

This role will be accountable for: 

Providing emotional support, counselling and therapeutic interventions to individuals and families coping with grief and loss. The role involves working compassionately and ethically with anyone affected by military connected bereavement, helping them process their emotions and find ways to adjust to life after a loss.

The Bereavement Counsellor will work collaboratively with the SUPPORT team and the wider Families team to ensure that all work undertaken by Scotty’s is delivered in a supportive and sensitive manner and that the whole Scotty community receive exemplary care.

What are the 3-month goals for this role: 

• Within three months the Counsellor will have developed their knowledge of the range of services that Scotty’s offers to our community so that they can advise and support individuals and families in their case load.

• Will have begun to learn and understand the Scotty Values and the Scotty Way (we do things a little differently and our culture is very important to us and our community!). 

• Would have begun supporting the community members assigned to their caseload by the Head of SUPPORT.This will be through online 1:1 delivery, and some group online sessions, drop ins or workshops. 

• Will have completed all necessary safeguarding training and be part of the Scotty’s Safeguarding team.

• Begun attending peer supervision sessions with the SUPPORT team. 

What are the 6-month goals for this role: 

• Will have established a caseload across the Scotty community, as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT.

• Will have begun to support the wider Families team by attending Scotty events.At Scotty events, a SUPPORT team member often attends to provide support to any families who may need it on the day (this may require occasional weekend or evening work). 

• Will be working cohesively with the Families team and the wider Scotty team to share knowledge and skills.Scotty’s values a culture of learning and strives to ensure team members can learn from one another’s expertise. 

• Will be contributing to peer supervision sessions to ensure all SUPPORT team members are able to give the best support to families.

• Regularly meeting with your selected external supervisor.

What are the 9-month goals for this role: 

• Will be supporting a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT, with emerging impact data showing the outcomes of your support.Scotty’s uses a range of practitioner and impact measurement tools to monitor the impact of SUPPORT team’s work.

• Will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT programme, Families and the wider Scotty team. Providing high-quality bereavement counselling and support directly to the Scotty Community and by working collaboratively with other team members. 

• Will be contributing to developing resources and workshops that support the Scotty Community. 

What are the key responsibilities of this role:  

• Managing a caseload and delivering one to one counselling sessions as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT. This will predominantly be online delivery using Teams video calling but also other formats as needed by community members. 

• Facilitate group therapy or support groups when appropriate. 

• Conduct initial assessment to determine clients’ needs and suitability for counselling.

• Maintaining accurate and confidential case notes in a timely fashion using our CRM in accordance with data protection and organisational policies. 

• Adhering to all safeguarding requirements and operating as part of the Scotty Safeguarding team to maintain the highest standards across the charity.

• Part of a team creating and developing resources and materials for the whole Scotty community.

• Working collaboratively within the SUPPORT team, including peer supervision. 

• Working collaboratively within the Families team to ensure that Scotty community members and families are directed to the appropriate services in a timely fashion.This could include directing people you are working with towards our educational grants, our respite breaks, our events, our START support or our advocacy.

• Liaise with other professionals such as GPs, CAMHS, social workers, education or other professionals where appropriate to ensure holistic care and management of risk. 

• Attending at least six (mandatory) face to face team days, normally located in the East of England, alongside some in person team meetings.

• Participate in regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development.

Skillset and Experiences Required:  

Essential 

• Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).We may consider applications from practitioners with HCPC or NCPS membership too.

• Level 4 Counselling / Psychotherapy Diploma or above. 

• Significant experience (post qualification), providing bereavement counselling to adults and some experience of counselling with children and young people (0-25yrs). 

• Experience and training with NICE-approved talking therapies.

• Strong understanding of grief, bereavement, trauma and the impact of loss, and experience supporting traumatic bereavement or more complex grief presentations. 

• Demonstrable safeguarding knowledge and experience 

• Confident in professional judgement, boundaries, safeguarding and confidentiality.

• Willing and able to support lower-level emotional support needs as well as more complex presentations, depending on service demand. 

• Experience of managing a complex caseload effectively.

• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings for drop-ins, later appointments or events in line with service need. 

• Excellent computer literacy. 

• Ability to engage with peer supervision and external supervision (organised by Scotty’s) effectively. 

• Ability to engage with a culture of continuous learning and support the learning of others.

• Reflective, curious and open to feedback. 

• Willingness to work flexibly as part of a team and independently to meet the needs of the service.

• Commitment to professional standards and ethical practice. 

Desirable 

• Military-connected experience or knowledge would be an advantage but not essential if you have a willingness to learn. 

• Experience of group work and peer support delivery would be helpful. Willingness to lead on these sessions as required. 

• Experience in end-of-life care and pre-bereavement work. 

• Experience of online counselling.

• Experience and training in counselling linked to suicide and suicidal ideation. 

• Knowledge of or experience using assessment tools such as WEMWBS or CBSQs. 

• Knowledge of statutory services and systems.

Additional Information 

• The role may require evening or weekend work from time to time 

• Enhanced DBS check required 

• Travel will be required to events and team training days 

• APPLICANTS MUST BE BASED WITHIN 2 HOURS TRAVEL OF CAMBRIDGE

The Scotty’s Way 

At Scotty’s, our personal performance is only 50% of what success looks like. Our culture is equally important. When you join our team, you sign up to The Scotty’s Way, rooted in our four core values:

1. Families Come First 

1. Everyone a Supporter, Every Supporter a VIP 

1. Love What You Do 

1. Remember, Every Day 

Our values are further supported by our four non-negotiable behaviours of Show Respect, Speak Up, Take Ownership and Actively Collaborate. We are looking for an individual who embodies these values and behaviours. 

Thank you for your interest in joining our team, we are an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect and given equal opportunities for employment and advancement.

We do not discriminate based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.

We encourage all qualified individuals to apply for employment within our charity, and we provide a fair and inclusive recruitment process for all candidates. 

Project Manager (CEO)

Following many years of exceptional service, which has seen Durham City Youth Project (DCYP) grow and develop, our current Project Manager (CEO) is stepping down from her post.  The DCYP trustees seek to appoint a Professionally Qualified and Experienced Project Manager (CEO) who can demonstrate passion and enthusiasm to lead the Project into the next stage of its development.

DCYP has been supporting children and young people since 1933. We work across County Durham to provide youth work, counselling, sexual health education and wellbeing support for young people aged 8–19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs.

Our mission is to create opportunities that help young people develop confidence, resilience, skills and aspirations while ensuring they have access to trusted adults, positive activities and support when they need it most.

We believe every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive regardless of their background, circumstances or challenges.

Hours: 35 hours a week to work regular evenings and weekends
Salary: £33k – 37k per annum
Holidays: 6.5 weeks holiday (pro rata), inclusive of  bank holidays
Based: Across County Durham
Benefits: Company pension scheme
Occupational sick pay
Ongoing training and professional development
A supportive and flexible working environment

Durham City Youth Project is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Appointment will be subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.