The posting
Salary: £25,500–£28,000 FTE per annum (pro rata) Hours: Part-time or full-time — 60 hours available Location: Evesham, Worcestershire Contract: Permanent Closing date: Wednesday 28th October 2026 Interview date: Week commencing 9th November 2026
About the role
Join ONSIDE as a Wellbeing & Emotional Support Practitioner and become part of a dedicated team of professionals working within Melo community hubs across Evesham, Worcestershire. You will support children and young people aged 0–25 to improve their emotional wellbeing, build confidence and develop the skills they need to manage life’s challenges.
This rewarding role focuses on early intervention and preventative emotional wellbeing and mental health support. Working in line with the i-THRIVE model, you will provide practical and emotional support tailored to each individual’s needs, helping children and young people identify what matters to them, develop personalised action plans and build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.
You will work collaboratively with children, young people, parents, carers and partner organisations to identify needs, coordinate appropriate support and help individuals access services and activities within their communities. You will empower children and young people to develop effective coping strategies, strengthen relationships and participate more fully in life.
This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference to children and young people across our communities, helping them access the right support at the right time.
Key responsibilities
Emotional Wellbeing and Individual Support
- Provide dedicated one-to-one appointments to explore children and young people’s individual needs, experiences and aspirations.
- Work collaboratively with children and young people to develop personalised action plans that address issues affecting their emotional wellbeing and mental health.
- Regularly review action plans and support individuals to recognise progress, develop coping strategies and improve their confidence and self-esteem.
- Provide early intervention and preventative support for children and young people experiencing low mood, anxiety and other emotional wellbeing difficulties.
- Support children and young people to develop practical techniques for managing stress, anxiety and everyday life challenges.
- Manage and prioritise an individual caseload according to need, urgency and the level of support required.
- Provide a consistent point of contact for children, young people and their families throughout their involvement with the programme, supporting continuity and helping them avoid having to repeat their experiences unnecessarily.
- Provide support to children, young people and families experiencing crisis or at risk of crisis, working alongside statutory partners where appropriate.
Family and Community Support
- Support children, young people and their families to access activities within their communities to build confidence, self-esteem and social connections.
- Help children, young people and families access wider services within the children and families support framework.
- Support parents, carers and young people to identify and make informed decisions about the interventions and services that best meet their needs.
- Facilitate access to appropriate support, including parenting skills, behavioural support, anger management and interventions addressing social isolation.
- Facilitate bespoke group sessions and provide one-to-one self-help support alongside group provision.
- Support children and parents or carers to rebuild, strengthen and maintain positive family relationships.
- Coordinate support with partner agencies within the Getting More Help element of the i-THRIVE model.
- Work alongside statutory partners to support children and young people within the Getting Risk Support cohort.
- Link children, young people and families with appropriate statutory and non-statutory services.
Partnership Working and Service Coordination
- Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies to provide coordinated, consistent and effective support.
- Coordinate the involvement of specialist agencies where appropriate to meet the needs of individual children and young people.
- Work closely with delivery partners, including Kooth, MIND and Action for Children, to promote joined-up working and consistency of provision.
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues, families, community organisations and partner services.
- Encourage and support children, young people and families to participate in decisions about their support and the services they receive.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Co-production
- Proactively seek regular feedback from children and young people about the quality of support they receive and the impact of interventions.
- Maintain accurate records of activities, interventions and outcomes.
- Provide written and verbal feedback and reports on service delivery and performance as required.
- Use feedback and learning to inform improvements to the quality, accessibility and effectiveness of services.
- Take a co-productive approach to service-user involvement, encouraging and supporting children, young people and families to contribute to the delivery and ongoing development of the service.
Other responsibilities
- Work flexibly across allocated locations throughout Worcestershire to meet the needs of children, young people and families.
- Participate in evening and weekend work on a rota basis, as part of normal working hours.
- Provide support outside school hours and during school holidays, as the role is not restricted to school hours or term time.
- Travel across Worcestershire as required. A driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential.
- Work flexibly and collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers to support the needs and priorities of the organisation.
- Take responsibility for safeguarding appropriate to the role and raise concerns in accordance with ONSIDE’s safeguarding procedures.
In addition, all ONSIDE employees are expected to:
- Work within ONSIDE’s stated principles and values, adhering to organisational policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Take responsibility for safeguarding appropriate to their role and raise any concerns with ONSIDE’s Safeguarding and Professional Guidance Lead.
- Contribute to the growth and ongoing sustainability of the organisation.
- Demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities, social inclusion and individual empowerment.
- Show a commitment to personal, professional and organisational development.
- Take responsibility for their own wellbeing and access the support and resources available.
- Contribute to organisational promotional and networking activities.
- Work flexibly and cooperatively with colleagues to support the needs of the organisation.
ONSIDE People
- Are passionate about what they do.
- Value difference and diversity.
- Are creative and innovative in their approach.
- Are committed to fairness and justice.
- Have integrity and take personal responsibility.
Requirements
Essential
Qualifications and knowledge
- A relevant Level 3 professional qualification relating to work with young people, supported by post-qualification experience.
- A good general standard of education.
- Demonstrable commitment to personal and professional development.
- Safeguarding training and/or experience.
- Knowledge of person-centred approaches.
- Understanding of education, health and social care systems and processes, including local primary care services and statutory and third-sector support.
- Understanding of issues affecting children and young people experiencing disadvantage.
- Knowledge of safeguarding, confidentiality, GDPR, equal opportunities, diversity and empowerment.
Experience
- Experience of supporting children and young people with emotional health, wellbeing or mental health needs.
- Experience of working with children and young people experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties, anxiety or mood-related difficulties.
- Experience of working with young people and/or families to build confidence, develop coping skills and encourage positive change.
- Experience of supporting individuals, young people, parents or families in a relevant role, including voluntary or unpaid work.
- Experience of working with young people and families affected by mental ill health, whether in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity.
- Working knowledge and experience of coaching, motivational and behavioural change techniques, such as motivational interviewing.
- Experience of working autonomously and managing competing priorities.
- Experience of maintaining accurate and up-to-date records of activities and interventions, collecting data and providing monitoring information to assess service impact.
- Experience of partnership working and building effective relationships across different organisations.
- Experience of working in a health, education and/or social care setting.
- Experience of working creatively, solving problems and prioritising work.
Skills and approach
- Ability to build trust and provide a holistic, solution-focused approach to individual needs.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt communication to different audiences.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, including the ability to establish effective working relationships with children, young people, families and professionals.
- Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and ensure clarity about the role.
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office, email and management information database systems.
- Ability to network, collaborate and build effective working relationships with partner organisations.
- Strong influencing skills and the confidence to constructively challenge where necessary to achieve positive change.
- Ability to work independently, manage time effectively and take a creative approach to problem-solving.
- Strong organisational skills, including managing deadlines, timetables, multiple tasks and competing priorities.
- Emotional resilience and the ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment.
- A commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, equality, diversity and person-centred support.
- Ability and willingness to work flexibly, including occasional evening and weekend work.
- Ability to travel across Worcestershire, with a driving licence and access to a vehicle.
Desirable
Qualifications and training
- A qualification in health and social care.
- Training in care planning and coordination.
- Training in mental health support.
- Training or knowledge relating to child sexual exploitation (CSE), child criminal exploitation (CCE), domestic abuse and Prevent.
Experience
- Experience of supporting children and young people with complex needs.
- Experience of delivering targeted early intervention services and outreach.
- Experience of supporting or mediating between children and parents to rebuild and strengthen family relationships.
- Experience of delivering therapeutic interventions.
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience of contributing to the development of a growing team.
- Experience of monitoring and evaluating services and approaches.
Knowledge
- Working knowledge of the education system in England.
Benefits
ONSIDE’s benefits
- 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Pension scheme.
- Company sick pay scheme, after qualifying service.
- Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, after qualifying service.
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- Access to the premium Calm app.
- Employee Engagement Forum, ensuring colleagues’ voices are heard.
- Your birthday off.
- A supportive working environment and a positive work–life balance culture.
- Support for continuous professional development.
