Short Breaks Practitioner

Short Breaks Practitioners (Job Ref: 3903)                 Salary: £42,221 Location: 5 Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG/Hybrid      Hours per week: 36 Contract Type: 1 x Permanent/Full Time   1 x Fixed Term/Secondment for 12 months /Full Time      1 x Fixed Term/Secondment for 9 months /Full Time Closing Date: Wednesday 10th December 2025 at 23.59 Interview: Wednesday 17th December 2025 About Camden Camden is changing on the inside to make life better for everyone. Our residents and communities are at the heart of everything we do. We’re home to the most important conversations happening today and we’re making radical social change a reality, so that nobody gets left behind.  Here’s where you can help decide a better future for us all. We are currently seeking compassionate and skilled Short Breaks Practitioners to join our Children and Young People Disability Service (CYPDS 0–25). This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children and young people with severe to profound disabilities and/or complex health needs.  What You’ll Be Doing / How You’ll Be Involved Short Breaks are a vital element of Camden Council’s support for children and young people with disabilities and their families. They provide opportunities for children and young people to enjoy positive activities away from their primary carers, while giving parents and carers essential time to rest and recharge. The Short Breaks Practitioner will lead strengths-based reviews of social care packages for children and young people with severe to profound disabilities and/or complex health needs. Working collaboratively with the young person and their family, the role ensures positive outcomes that enable each individual to reach their full potential. Key responsibilities include advocating for the young person during assessments of needs, risks, and capacity, whilst also considering and identifying safeguarding concerns and developing appropriate solutions with managerial support.  This role requires close partnership with SEND colleagues and local educational providers to ensure the aims of the young person’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are consistently met. It also involves working with health professionals across children’s and adult services to deliver a systemic approach to meeting assessed needs. In preparing young people for adulthood, the practitioner will liaise with statutory, private, and voluntary organisations to address holistic needs and achieve positive outcomes. As part of the Children and Young People Disability Service (0–25), the Short Breaks Practitioner will work as an integrated team member, providing practical support and assistance to Social Workers on complex cases and collaborating closely with the Short Breaks Coordinator to ensure high-quality service delivery. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and will require an Enhanced DBS. Please note Camden also offers the DBS update service. To view the Job Profile, please click HERE or copy and paste the below URL into your Microsoft Edge browser (please note the attached will not open in other browsers):  http://camdocs.camden.gov.uk/HPRMWebDrawer/Record/11505051/file/document?inline  All About You To find out more about what it is like to work at Camden, meet some of our People by visiting 'www.camdenjobs.co.uk/our-stories'. The successful candidate will be a good communicator with excellent interpersonal skills. You will have experience of organising, coordinating, and developing services for children and young people or working directly with children and young people. You will have a good working knowledge of the pressures faced by families with children living in socially deprived neighbourhoods as well as the issues faced by/needs of disadvantaged families with children including discrimination. You will also bring your excellent experience of working with children with disabilities and of providing support to disabled children and their families in multi-cultural communities. The ideal candidate will also have excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Excel, IT, and data recording systems. We strongly encourage applicants to write their applications themselves. While we understand the growing use of AI tools, we believe that personal reflection and authenticity are key to a strong application. Please avoid using AI-generated content when applying. What We Offer At Camden, you’ll receive a host of benefits including: 27 days annual leave for new starters, rising to 31 days after 5 years Local Government Pension Scheme Flexible working opportunities Interest free loans Access to our incredible staff networks Career development and training Wellbeing support and activities Visit 'www.camdenjobs.co.uk/staff-benefits' for more details. Inclusion and Belonging At Camden, we want every colleague to feel they belong and can thrive. We welcome applications from all parts of our community, and particularly encourage people from Black, Asian and Other Ethnic Heritage communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled and neurodiverse people, survivors of domestic abuse, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds or with care experience. We know that different voices and perspectives make us stronger, and we are committed to providing the support, adjustments and flexibility people need to succeed.  Click here for more information on our commitment. To discover more about Camden and our commitment towards diversity, equality and safeguarding, please visit https://www.camdenjobs.co.uk/inclusion-and-diversity  Asking for Adjustments  Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on 020 7974 6655, at resourcing@camden.gov.uk or post to 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG. Anonymised Application – in keeping with Camden’s commitment to inclusion the recruitment to this role is anonymised and supports the objective of reducing the impact of unconscious bias.