Early intervention practitioner

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.