We are excited to recruit five Best Start Family Practitioners to form a new, dynamic team delivering early help across York.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a neighbourhood-based service supporting families with children aged 0–5, with a focus on 3–4-year-olds.
You will build trusted relationships with families, providing practical, evidence-informed support to strengthen early relationships, routines, wellbeing and the Home Learning Environment, helping children achieve a strong foundation for school.
Each practitioner will work within a defined locality, managing a targeted caseload and acting as a lead professional where appropriate. You’ll deliver flexible, strengths-based support through approaches such as coaching, modelling and guided play, while working closely with partners including health, early years and community services to ensure families receive the right support at the right time.
You will also support the delivery of parenting programmes, contribute to community engagement activities, and play a key role in building local networks of support.
About you:
-
Level 3 qualification (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field
- Strong knowledge of early child development (0–5)
- Experience working relationally with families
- Skilled in multi-agency working and outcome-focused planning
This is a hybrid role, combining community-based work with families and flexible home working. It also requires some evening/weekend working and an enhanced DBS check.
Join us and help shape this new service, making a lasting difference for children and families across York.
As this role is public facing, applicants will need to demonstrate, at interview, their competency to converse and provide advice and guidance to members of the public, in spoken English to CEFR level C1: Can express themselves fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. Only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder a natural, smooth flow of language.
Hybrid working arrangements are available for this role. Each role at CYC is different and your working arrangements will be determined based on the requirements of the role and in collaboration with you and your needs as part of the recruitment process. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team.
City of York Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We require the successful candidate to undertake an enhanced Criminal Record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service.
The Council is committed to investing in the talent and wellbeing of our staff and can offer a generous annual leave allowance, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, comprehensive Health & Wellbeing initiatives and a reward package which recognises your contribution. We can offer flexible working practices, community engagement and volunteer activities and, as part of our commitment to you, promote continuous Learning & Development. In addition we also offer a growing range of discounts, rewards and savings.
For further information or an informal discussion please contact Helen Westerman, Family Hub Manager at
[email protected] or on 07964 236111.
Closing date: Sunday 21 June 2026 at 12 midnight
Interview date: Week commencing 20 July 2026
