Care services
Early intervention practitioner
Provide intervention services early in identified cases.
Summary
This occupation is found in statutory and voluntary organisations who can provide person-centred, early intervention approaches and services to support individuals across all age ranges, from pre-birth to end of life. Early Intervention Practitioners offer practical help and emotional support to individuals experiencing a range of problems to help them overcome concerns or barriers impacting their daily lives, such as alcohol, drug or gambling misuse, behavioural issues, mobility issues and learning difficulties. They provide impartial information, advice, support and guidance to individuals and others impacted by the individual’s circumstances, such as their family and friends.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide intervention services early in identified cases to help prevent a more complex, statutory-driven solution needed later. Early intervention work is a voluntary, consent-based service where individuals are encouraged to engage with the services and support offered but can choose not to engage if they wish. However, many individuals do choose to engage with the services offered as they recognise how the support can benefit their lives and those impacted by their circumstances.
An Early Intervention Practitioner is responsible for identifying and sourcing the right intervention at the right time in an individual’s life in order to achieve mutually agreed outcomes. They work in a number of different environments within the community depending on the types of individuals they are supporting and may visit an individual in their home environment, or meet in a neutral location of the individual’s choosing.
Early intervention work involves identifying risks, focusing on the voice of the individual and building relationships and trust with the individual and their wider network, in order to provide timely, flexible and effective support. They adopt a collaborative, evidence-based approach aimed at building on the capacity and resilience of individuals by supporting them to take responsibility and ownership for themselves, which may also involve input from the individual’s, family, friends and other professionals. Support provided could involve a single agency input or require coordinating a multi-agency response. They are responsible for ensuring effective collaboration and appropriate information sharing between partner agencies to ensure the individual gets the right help at the right time, focusing on the emerging needs of individuals and managing the support required to help prevent escalation to social care or other statutory partner thresholds.
Early Intervention Practitioner roles offer a wide range of support to individuals across all age ranges. For example, a Lead Reablement Worker may focus on supporting and empowering adults to enhance their quality of life, maximise potential and continue to develop independence skills within their own homes. They might do this by, for example, creating and implementing a support plan for older person to rebuild their confidence and regain lost skills after being injured in a fall, to ensure they can remain independent in their own home rather than needing residential care. In a different setting, a Violence Prevention Worker may deliver behavioural change interventions with adults in a way that shows an understanding of domestic violence and its effect on the victim, prioritising the safety of the victim and their children. In another setting, a Pastoral and School Inclusion Officer would be responsible for finding solutions to keep young people in school wherever possible, or if that's not possible, to ensure they get an education somewhere else. They might do this by supporting pupils with identified behavioural issues to achieve their potential through targeted support and interventions, whilst working closely with parents and relevant professionals.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with:
- The individual, their family and wider network.
- Colleagues within their own team, their line manager, and other professionals within a variety of service provisions. Provision may include working with representatives from education, health, care, therapeutic services, housing, financial assistance, youth justice, probation, social care and the police.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for:
- Identifying the early intervention need within cases through analysis and assessment
- Working with their manager and colleagues to distribute cases amongst the team appropriately.
- Working with partner agencies, including participating in multi-agency meetings where they may also be responsible for chairing the meeting.
- Reflecting on, and reviewing outcomes and progress, in a timely and appropriate manner
- Solving issues effectively to maintain relationships both with individuals/families and other professionals whilst considering organisational and legal requirements.
- Ensuring all documentation is maintained and auditable for legal or agency requirements as well as quality inspections, e.g. the Care Quality Commission, OFSTED.
Typical job titles include
- Assistant senior care worker | Assistant social worker | Childrens centre worker | Community worker | Early help practitioner | Early intervention advisor | Early intervention alcohol case worker | Early intervention and prevention worker | Family support worker | Lead reablement worker | Pastoral and school inclusion officer | Violence prevention worker
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Legislation, statutory guidance, national, local and organisational policies and procedures in relation to individuals and families relevant to own role.
K2:
Principles and benefits of local and national multi-agency and multi-disciplinary working.
K3:
Stages of, and factors that affect development, transitions and changes individuals may go through, and the impact they can have on an individual and their family.
K4:
Legislation and organisational procedures for safeguarding, the protection of vulnerable people and combating extremism within the requirements of own role.
K5:
When and how to escalate and de-escalate individual cases beyond own responsibility.
K6:
Importance of health, wellbeing and resilience and ways to manage and maintain it for self and others.
K7:
The duty of candour, the responsibilities, boundaries and ethical nature of own role, with individuals, the family network and other professionals.
K8:
Theories and evidence based strategies related to early intervention work, trauma informed practice, social justice, person and whole family centred approaches.
K9:
Methods used to assess and analyse the requirements of individuals, families, including observation, questioning and problem solving.
K10:
Principles of using professional judgement and how it relates to the complexities of a situation and to make informed decisions.
K11:
Different communication methods and strategies, including the use of digital technologies, to account for the needs of individuals and families when building professional relationships.
K12:
Theories of change and the impact it has on own self and others.
K13:
The importance of safe lone working and mitigating risks to protect personal safety.
K14:
Principles of mentoring and coaching to help support others.
K15:
Caseload management processes and when to seek support or direction.
K16:
Purpose of supervision to enhance practice and wellbeing.
K17:
The aims, values and culture of own organisation and how own role contributes to this.
K18:
How to undertake risk assessments in line with relevant policies and procedures.
K19:
Conflict resolution techniques and methods used to manage differences of opinion and difficult situations with individuals, the wider family network and other professionals.
K20:
Family structures, environmental, social and cultural contexts and the impact on different situations.
K21:
Importance of working collaboratively seeking and hearing the voice of the individual to empower and influence intervention work including action planning.
K22:
Organisation specific policies and commitment relating to rights, equality, diversity and inclusion.
K23:
Importance of identifying and evaluating own learning and development need.
K24:
How to produce detailed and accurate records that meet organisational and legislative requirements.
K25:
Principles of confidentiality in line with legal and organisational policies and procedures.
K26:
How to find up to date information, advice and guidance that can be used to allow individuals, families and professional partners to make informed choices about accessing support.
K27:
Own organisations digital strategy and how to use digital technologies appropriate to own role.
K28:
How to prioritise interventions based on presenting needs.
K29:
Techniques to build effective professional relationships with individuals and families.
K30:
Techniques to build effective professional relationships with colleagues and other agencies.
K31:
How to work as an independent practitioner and when to seek guidance and direction.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0868: Early intervention practitioner (Level 4) Approved for delivery
- HTQCS4010: CertHE Integrated Health, Social Care, and Well-being (Level 4)
- HTQCS5011: CertHE Health and Social Care (Level 4)
- Reference:
- OCC0868
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £33,430 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 2469 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 2469/02 Children and family services professionals
- 3221/02 Family support workers
S1:
Apply legislation, statutory guidance, national, local and organisational policies and procedures to meet the needs of individuals and families.
S2:
Gather information and guidance from professionals in multi-agencies and multi-disciplines to inform practice and support informed decision making.
S3:
Identify relevant factors and how these have impacted on the needs of the individual and their family.
S4:
Identify and respond to safeguarding, protection, vulnerable people and extremism concerns.
S5:
Manage, and respond to assessed strengths, risks and accessing support when beyond own area of responsibility.
S6:
Identify, develop and adopt strategies for self and others to support health, wellbeing and resilience taking action when required.
S7:
Manage expectations and open conversations within boundaries of own role.
S8:
Apply relevant current theories and evidence based strategies when working with individuals and families to meet their identified needs.
S9:
Use observation, questioning, problem solving and analysis techniques when undertaking assessments.
S10:
Use professional judgement to understand the complexities of a situation and make informed decisions.
S11:
Communicate with individuals including the use of digital technologies accounting for the needs of individuals and families.
S12:
Identify and respond to the impact of change when working with the individual and their network.
S13:
Implement safe working practice when lone working to mitigate any potential risks
S14:
Apply the principles of mentoring or coaching when helping and supporting others.
S15:
Manage caseloads in line with organisational policies and procedures to meet the needs of individuals or families.
S16:
Use supervision to support and enhance the quality of your practice and wellbeing.
S17:
Contribute to the aims, values and culture of own organisation.
S18:
Undertake risk assessments in line with relevant policies and procedures.
S19:
Manage differences of opinion and difficult situations with individuals, the wider family network, and other professionals providing professional challenge when necessary.
S20:
Consider the family and wider environmental, social and cultural context when planning and implementing support or intervention.
S21:
Work collaboratively with individuals, their wider network and partner agencies to ensure the individual voice is heard when decision making.
S22:
Apply organisational policies and commitment to rights, equality, diversity and inclusion.
S23:
Participate in learning and development activities and evaluate the impact on own practice.
S24:
Produce detailed and accurate records that meet organisational and legislative requirements.
S25:
Ensure compliance with legal and organisational policies and procedures in maintaining the confidentiality of information.
S26:
Provide individuals, families and professional partners with up to date information advice and guidance to help them make informed choices about accessing support.
S27:
Use digital technologies where appropriate within own role and own organisations digital strategy.
S28:
Prioritise interventions based on presenting needs.
S29:
Use relationship building techniques to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with individuals and families.
S30:
Build and maintain effective professional relationships with colleagues and other agencies.
S31:
Work independently as a practitioner within the wider team context, seeking guidance and direction when needed.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0868: Early intervention practitioner (Level 4) Approved for delivery
- HTQCS4010: CertHE Integrated Health, Social Care, and Well-being (Level 4)
- HTQCS5011: CertHE Health and Social Care (Level 4)
- Reference:
- OCC0868
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £33,430 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 2469 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 2469/02 Children and family services professionals
- 3221/02 Family support workers
B1:
Engage with individuals and their wider network, colleagues and partner agencies to collectively promote best outcomes.
B2:
Have professional curiosity and be willing to explore different approaches in practice.
B3:
Be responsive to need and adapt to different situations.
B4:
Be reflective, caring and considerate of self and others and be able to draw upon and build support networks.
B5:
Learn from success and mistakes, to continuously review approach.
B6:
Value people as individuals, considering intersectionality and the perspective of others.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0868: Early intervention practitioner (Level 4) Approved for delivery
- HTQCS4010: CertHE Integrated Health, Social Care, and Well-being (Level 4)
- HTQCS5011: CertHE Health and Social Care (Level 4)
- Reference:
- OCC0868
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £33,430 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 2469 Welfare professionals n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 2469/02 Children and family services professionals
- 3221/02 Family support workers
