Children, Young People and Families Waiting Well Engagement Coordinator – Supporting Smiles

Location: Norwich Hub with hybrid working available. The role will initially involve a higher level of office-based working, with flexibility to work from home thereafter, depending on individual needs and service requirements.

About the role

Supporting Smiles is excited to recruit a Children, Young People and Families Waiting Well Engagement Coordinator to lead our newly established Waiting Well Programme. This is a unique opportunity to shape an innovative model designed to improve the experience of children, young people and families whilst they are waiting to access therapeutic intervention. The programme focuses on ensuring children and families receive meaningful, proactive support that promotes wellbeing, builds resilience, improves readiness for therapy and reduces the risks associated with extended waiting times.

As the Waiting Well Engagement Coordinator, you will oversee the day-to-day delivery of the programme, leading two dedicated Mental Health Workers while working closely with clinical and operational colleagues to ensure children and young people remain engaged, safe and supported throughout their journey. You will champion a strengths-based, child-centred approach, embedding Single Session Intervention (SSI) principles to maximise the value of every contact and improve outcomes for families.

Alongside leading the team, you will play a key role in monitoring waiting list activity, identifying trends, analysing performance information and driving service improvements that enhance pathway flow, reduce non-attendance and protect valuable therapeutic capacity. Working collaboratively with colleagues across Supporting Smiles and partner organisations, you will help shape a responsive service that continuously evolves to meet the needs of children, young people and families.

Supporting Smiles provides evidence-based mental health support to children and young people across Norfolk and Waveney through both our Therapeutic Pathway for 4–13-year-olds and our Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner service for 5–18-year-olds. Our multidisciplinary team is committed to delivering compassionate, accessible and high-quality mental health support that puts children, young people and families at the centre of everything we do. As part of Norfolk & Waveney’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Alliance, we work alongside partners including The Benjamin Foundation, Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk County Council and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust to deliver integrated, THRIVE-informed support across the Getting Advice, Getting Help, Getting More Help and Risk Support pathways.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day delivery of the Waiting Well Programme.
• Lead two dedicated Mental Health Workers, ensuring children and young people remain engaged, safe and supported.
• Champion a strengths-based, child-centred approach, embedding Single Session Intervention (SSI) principles.
• Monitor waiting list activity, identify trends, and analyse performance information to drive service improvements.
• Enhance pathway flow, reduce non-attendance, and protect therapeutic capacity.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Supporting Smiles and partner organisations to shape a responsive service.

Requirements

• Experience leading or coordinating services within children’s mental health, health, social care or the voluntary sector.
• Experience managing waiting lists, operational processes or access pathways.
• Passion for improving the experience of children, young people and families.
• Ability to confidently lead, motivate and develop a small team.
• Excellent organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills, using data to drive service improvement.
• Understanding of safeguarding, trauma-informed practice and person-centred approaches.
• Ability to build strong relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders across health, education and the voluntary sector.
• Enthusiasm for innovation and embedding new ways of working to improve access, engagement and outcomes.

Pay

£34,467 per annum, based on 37.5 hours per week.

Schedule

Full-time, 12-month fixed term position.