Early Help Schools Advisor

This permanent role has a starting salary of £33,552 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.

We have a great opportunity for an Early Help Schools Advisor to join our fantastic Early Help Partnership Team based in east Surrey at our Reigate office, Woodhatch.

This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between collaborating with colleagues in the office, traveling around the county visiting schools and attending meetings, and working from home.

Our Offer to You

26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residentsAbout The Role

We are seeking a skilled, and knowledgeable Early Help Schools Advisor to join our committed team.

In this rewarding role, you will support schools to deliver effective early help for children and families, aligned with Surrey's Continuum of Support, which is a framework used across the county to help professionals understand levels of need for children, young people and families, and to ensure they receive the right support at the right time. It promotes early intervention, shared responsibility and proportionate responses, with the aim of preventing issues from escalating wherever possible.

As an Early Help Schools Advisor, you will play a vital role in helping schools provide the right support at the right time for children, young people and their families. Acting as a trusted link between schools and the Council, you will offer expert advice and guidance on Families First, Surrey's Continuum of Support and holistic early help approaches, helping to prevent issues from escalating to statutory services. You will work alongside schools to support them to identify risks and opportunities early, supporting the school to coordinate appropriate support and escalating concerns where necessary to secure timely, positive outcomes for families.

You will work collaboratively with a wide range of partners, supporting and empowering school staff to complete effective early help assessments and develop high-quality plans. This will include attending Team Around the Family meetings where required, contributing to joined-up planning and delivery. You will also deliver early help training, share best practice and maintain accurate records and systems to monitor impact and service delivery-ensuring children and families receive consistent, well-coordinated support that makes a real difference.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills:

Good knowledge of the Early Help Assessment process and attending a team around the family together with experience of working with children and families
Experience of delivering training
High level verbal and written communication skills
Good IT skills
Experience of building and maintaining successful working relationships and a commitment to working in partnership to support our children, young people and families
Ability to plan your workload using your own initiativeTo apply, we request that you submit a CV and answer the following 4 questions:

Please briefly describe your experience of using an Early Help (or similar) assessment framework, including your involvement in a Team Around the Family and the outcomes achieved.
Please give an example of how you have supported school staff or other professionals to identify needs and apply a continuum of support.
Please describe a situation where you worked with partner agencies to coordinate support for a child or family, including how you managed risk and ensured actions were delivered on time.
Please outline your experience of delivering training or guidance to professionals, including how you communicate effectively, use IT/recording systems, and manage your workload.The job advert closes at 23:59 on 10/05/2026 with interviews planned to follow.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs