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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 individual 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:
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for:
Duty | KSBs |
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Duty 1 Undertake a risk assessment of the situation for an individual or family to identify the issue / concern and establish that the correct person or organisation is working with the family. |
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Duty 2 Assess and analyse difficult or complex situations using evidenced-based practice to develop an action plan through consent. |
K1 K3 K5 K7 K8 K9 K10 K15 K16 K17 |
Duty 3 Manage early intervention cases, providing direct intervention in line with policies and procedures. |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K7 K9 K10 K12 K14 K15 K16 K17 |
Duty 4 Analyse and respond to identified personal and individual/family risk from an organisational perspective |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K6 K7 K9 K10 K12 K14 K16 K17 |
Duty 5 Managing working relationships with partner agencies using effective communication to achieve the desired outcomes for individuals. |
K2 K5 K6 K7 K9 K10 K13 K14 K17 |
Duty 6 Manage referrals and transitions, provide information advice and guidance (IAG) to individuals and families. |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K9 K10 K11 K12 K14 K15 K16 K17 |
Duty 7 Develop and support relationships to increase engagement between clients, their families and all professionals according to their age, stage and mental health requirements including using coaching and mentoring approaches. |
K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 |
Duty 8 Develop own continual professional development to support the delivery of good outcomes, this includes, keeping skills and knowledge up to date, engaging in appropriate learning activities and reflecting on own learning and practice. |
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Duty 9 Engage in their own professional supervision, to support and enhance the quality of their practice |
K1 K4 K6 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 |
Duty 10 Record and maintain accurate records for each client, ensuring that it is compliant with organisational policies and procedures. |
K1 K2 K4 K5 K7 K9 K10 K12 K14 K15 K16 K17 |
Duty 11 Embed environmental and contextual factors in the approach to supporting early interventions and the achievement of good outcomes for individuals and families. |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K16 K17 |
K1: relevant legislation, policies and procedures nationally and locally within their organisation, and own role. In relation to Children, Adults, Health and Safety, Equality and data protection.
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K2: the principles and benefits of local and national multi-agency working.
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K3: stages of development and transitions individuals may go through and the impact of these on the individual.
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K4: the importance of safeguarding and protection of vulnerable people when managing early intervention cases. Including the legal requirements, procedures to follow when there are safeguarding concerns with clients, as well as and obligations of your own role. This may include Prevent, mental capacity and deprivation of liberties.
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K5: when it is appropriate to escalate and deescalate individual cases because it is beyond their responsibility and jurisdiction despite any emotive commitments
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K6: importance of health, well-being and resilience in relation to self and others
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K7: limits of personal and professional boundaries within own role, i.e. with individuals, and other professionals
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K8: relevant theories relating to early intervention work, including social justice, development, person and family centred approaches and evidence-based strategies.
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K9: methods used to assess and analyse individuals and use professional judgements to inform future interventions.
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K10: the importance of using the right communication method depending on the situation when building professional relationships including the use of digital technologies
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K11: Theory of Change and the impact it has on themselves and others.
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K12: The importance of safe lone working and mitigating risks to protect personal safety.
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K13: Principles of mentoring and coaching to help support others.
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K14: caseload management processes, and when to seek appropriate support or direction from others.
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K15: organisational aims and values in own role, including equality, rights, and diversity.
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K16: how to undertake risk assessment using organisationally approved processes.
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K17: conflict resolution techniques to manage differences of opinion and difficult situations
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S1: Manage early intervention caseloads in line with organisational policies and procedures and relevant national and local priorities.
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S2: Assess, manage and respond to risk in their own area of responsibility.
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S3: Provide individuals and professional partners with appropriate tools and information to help them make informed choices to access support relevant to their needs.
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S4: Work collaboratively with individuals, their wider network and partner agencies, providing professional challenge when necessary.
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S5: Use appropriate observation, questioning, problem solving and analysis techniques when undertaking assessments for early intervention.
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S6: Apply organisational health, safety, equality and welfare procedures when managing caseloads to ensure the welfare of self, clients, their wider network and professional partners.
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S7: Apply relevant theories and evidence-based strategies in own role.
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S8: Manage multiple cases within own role, to meet individual and or family's needs
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S9: Prioritise interventions based on presenting needs
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S10: Produce detailed and, accurate records that meet organisational and legislative requirements
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S11: Use appropriate techniques to build and maintain professional relationships that help to ensure needs of individual cases are met.
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S12: Use digital technologies where appropriate within own role.
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S13: Work independently as a practitioner within the wider team context, drawing on direction and support when needed.
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S14: Provide impartial information, advice and guidance in a format that meets the needs of the individual.
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S15: Use professional judgement to understand the complexities of a situation and make appropriate decisions.
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B1: Collaboration: engagement with individuals and their wider network, colleagues and partner agencies to collectively promote best outcomes.
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B2: Enquiring: having professional curiosity, exploring a range of approaches in practices.
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B3: Adaptability: flexibly and responsively adapt to situations as they arise or are foreseen.
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B4: Compassion: Reflective, self-caring, considerate of self and others. Able to draw upon and build support networks
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B5: reflective: learning from success and mistakes, to continuously review and adapt approach.
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B6: Equity: Value people as individuals recognising difference and diversity.
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Qualification type: HTQ
Qualification level: 4
Applicant: NCG
Awarding body: NCG
Approval date: 01/01/0001
Occupational pathway: N/A
Placement: No
ST0868 Early intervention practitioner
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