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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.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
At NYAS, we listen to what children, young people and vulnerable adults want. We empower them to have their voices heard.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
About us
Loughborough Community Centre (LCC) was established in Brixton in 1981, as a positive outcome from the Brixton Uprisings. We operate from the Max Roach Centre in Brixton.
Our vital and multi award-winning project has been on the frontline before and during the pandemic supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families. We are in a positive position to grow the team to increase our impact for the community.
What we do:
Core offer...
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Rosebuds Preschool (2 - 4yrs)
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Afterschool and Holiday Play Project (0 - 13yrs)
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Family Support
Our mission:
A safe place where children, young people and families can come together, to play, learn and thrive. Join us and become part of a happy, motivated and friendly team who support the social, emotional and learning needs of our intergenerational community, through our embedded approach of Listening, Collaboration and the Creation (LCC) of meaningful activities.
About you
You will provide high-quality education, care, and family support, ensuring children experience a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where they can thrive. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will bring strong leadership, early years knowledge, and a commitment to creating enabling spaces that support children’s learning, development, wellbeing, and family engagement.
You will be confident in meeting all legal, statutory, and setting requirements, with a strong understanding of your professional contribution to maintaining high standards across Rosebuds Preschool, and the wider family and play services delivered by LCC at the Max Roach Centre.
Role Title: Early Year Professional (added area of responsibility) / Senior Practioner
Hours: 35 hours per week, 7.5 hours per day Monday to Friday (Hours will include some afterschool wraparound, occasional evenings and weekends).
We value work life balance and are willing to consider term time only or all year round.
Salary: £28,392 (FTE) depending on experience and up to an extra £3,640 per year incentive for added area of responsibility. Potential FTE £32,032.
Location: Rosebuds Preschool at Max Roach Centre, in person
Contract: Permanent – 6 months probationary period
Benefits of working with us:
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Highly Competitive Salary
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Team Of People Who Actually Care
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Concessional Preschool Place
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Employee Assistance Programme for Staff Mental Health Wellbeing and Support
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Birthdays Off
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Regular Socials and Team Building Opportunities.
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Free Enhanced DBS Checks
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Well-Established Career Path and Training Opportunities
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Workplace Pension Scheme
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Induction and Supervision Programme
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Personal and Professional Development Plan
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Fresh Fruit, Tea & Coffee available for all staff
You will have experience of:
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Planning, delivering, and evaluating high-quality learning experiences in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, supporting children’s individual development, curiosity, and wellbeing.
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Working collaboratively as part of an early years professional team to maintain and continuously improve the quality of practice, provision, and outcomes for children.
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Operating within a Key Person system, building secure, nurturing relationships with a designated group of children and supporting their individual needs, development, and family relationships.
Main duties include:
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Contribute to the responsibility for providing a high quality of education and learning, ensuring that staff are properly deployed, and to offer appropriate stimulation and support to the children attending the setting.
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Contribute to the responsibility towards drawing up long-term, medium-term and sessional curriculum plans which take into account the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and to monitor the effectiveness of the setting’s curriculum; this may include working with external professionals.
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Advocate for early years curriculum based on outdoor learning through play.
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Contribute to the responsibility of drawing up and implementing the daily programme of activities and events.
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Comply with current Ofsted inspection requirements for achieving a ‘Good’ or above rating.
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Contribute and support the key person system, ensuring parents/carers are aware of their child’s key worker and that key workers regularly and effectively engage with their key children’s parent/carer.
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Contribute to the responsibility for the implementation of systems for observation and record keeping so that children’s progress and achievements are effectively and regularly assessed and to monitor the effectiveness of assessment procedures.
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Understand and appreciate the importance of monitoring and evaluation in a preschool based setting.
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To carry out visits and inductions for new children and to ensure a smooth settlement.
Deadline for applications is Friday 7th August 2026. Interviews will take place througout August 2026.
Please send cover letter and CV to Colette Thomas Wellbeing and HR Lead
Registered Charity
11 - 20
"A safe place where children, young people and families can come together, to play, learn and thrive".
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.