Family Support Practitioner
Action for ChildrenJobsCloseBy Editorial Insights
Action for Children is seeking a part time Family Support Practitioner to deliver antenatal and postnatal support in Ballymena, 34 hours weekly. You’ll facilitate antenatal education and direct family support within a Sure Start team. The role offers a pro rata salary of £26,006.84 and a benefits package including holiday, training, a pension with employer contributions, and flexible parental leave, with occasional Thursday evening work. Essential: Level 3 Diploma or equivalent, safeguarding knowledge, experience with families, and the ability to travel across Antrim and Ballymena. Closing date 31 August 2026; interviews 15 September 2026; visa sponsorship unavailable. Tips: tailor your CV to reflect perinatal experience and safeguarding, provide concrete outcomes, and prepare examples of a strengths-based approach and flexibility.
Family Support Practitioner (Antenatal / Postnatal Services).
Salary: £26,006.84 per annum, pro rata.
Location: Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
Contract/Hours: Permanent, Part-time (working 34 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 service
Ballymena & Little Steps Sure Start provides a range of health, play & learning and parenting support services to children, from pre-birth up to four years, and their families. The project comprises a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary team and works in close partnership with a range of local Statutory, Voluntary and Community service providers to promote effective service delivery in response to the needs of the expectant parents, children and families across the designated SureStart areas. Sure Start services are provided from 3 centre bases across the localities, within the home setting or through outreach settings.
A bit about the role
As a Family Support Practitioner in this role, you will work with families right from the beginning of their parenting journey, from the antenatal period through to the postnatal stage. The role involves facilitating antenatal and postnatal services, including antenatal education programmes, Baby Club and Breastfeeding Support, alongside providing tailored support to families through home visits and telephone contacts where required. You will help parents build confidence, strengthen parent-infant attachment and give their baby the best possible start in life. You will also have access to a range of professional development opportunities, alongside Action for Children's extensive learning and development resources.
How you'll help to create brighter futures
- Deliver and support a range of antenatal and postnatal services, engaging families from pregnancy through to the early stages of parenthood.
- Depending on experience, qualifications and service need, the post holder may also facilitate specialist activities such as Infant Massage, Baby Yoga and/or Infant Reflexology, with training opportunities available.
- Provide compassionate, strengths-based support to parents during the perinatal period, recognising the unique opportunities and challenges this stage of family life can present.
- Undertake home visits and provide tailored one-to-one support to expectant and new parents, promoting parental wellbeing, early attachment and positive parent-infant relationships.
- Work in close partnership with Trust Midwifery Services, Health Visiting Teams and other relevant professionals to ensure coordinated support and positive outcomes for families and babies.
- Develop strong working relationships within the project's Health Team, including working closely alongside the Sure Start Health Visitor to identify and respond to the needs of families.
- Support families to access centre-based and community services, providing information, advice, signposting and referrals to appropriate statutory and voluntary services where required.
- Assess families' needs and develop support plans in partnership with parents, helping them achieve their goals and build confidence in their parenting journey.
- Contribute to the planning, development and delivery of evidence-based individual and group interventions that support families in giving their baby the best possible start in life.
- Collaborate with colleagues across the Sure Start team and partner agencies to deliver high-quality, holistic support for children and families.
Let's talk about you
Ideally you will have:
Level 3 Diploma in Health & Social Care, Early Years Childcare or equivalent.
Experience of supporting parents, children and families within community, health, family support, early years or perinatal services.
An understanding of the importance of the antenatal and postnatal period in promoting positive parent-infant relationships, attachment and child development.
A thorough understanding of child protection and Safeguarding.
An understanding of the physical, intellectual, linguistic, social and emotional growth as part of child development.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage with people of all ages and backgrounds to build strong and collaborative relationships.
Strong record keeping skills to complete assessments, service plans and reviews.
Good IT skills.
The ability to travel across Antrim and Ballymena on a regular basis. The job requires the ability to travel according to the needs of the job, with reasonable adjustments, if required, according to the Equality Act.
This role includes a weekly evening shift, typically on a Thursday, to support the delivery of family services. Some flexibility may be available, subject to service requirements.
Contact: [email protected] quoting reference 13528.
Closing date: Monday 31st August 2026.
Interviews will be conducted face to face on 15th September 2026.
Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
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.
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