Children’s Social Worker – Senior Practitioner

Job Description

Job Category: Social Care & Health Qualified (Kingston & Richmond)
Location: Guildhall Complex, Achieving for Children
Hours Per Week: 36.00
Start Date: Immediate Start
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 17:15
Salary: £28.08

This is for a senior social worker within the Children Looked After Team / Permanency Service within Achieving for Children.

As a senior practitioner, you are expected to act as a corporate parent to our children and be the lead professional. You will work alongside other professionals, to ensure that our children and young people receive appropriate care, education and health services, and any other support needed to ensure that their needs are met.

You will support children living with relatives, friends or foster families and prospective adopters or children living in children’s homes. You will undertake regular statutory visits, complete and update assessments and review the children and young people’s care plan.

It will be key for you to understand and accurately reflect their wishes and champion them so that our children and young people in care may be supported to meet their full potential. Occasionally, you will be required to prepare reports and attend Court. Due to the location of some of our placements, you will have the opportunity to travel to other parts of the Country. You will have a major contribution to make to the delivery of our vision and strategic priorities set out in the children and young people’s plan, by delivering all aspects of high quality social work provision to children and their families.

About you: our role specification

Qualifications:
⦁ Educated to a degree level with a relevant professional qualification in social work
⦁ Active Social Work England registration and proven evidence of continuing professional development
⦁ Accreditation PEPS

Skills and Experience:
⦁ Experience of building strong partnerships, maintaining relationships and co-producing solutions to challenges across a diverse set of stakeholders, including children, young people and their families. Advocating the voices of those we are working with.
⦁ Experience of keeping and maintaining records (in accordance with local policy) and producing accurate reports, presentations, written updates to a range of stakeholders (which may include families, children or young people).
⦁ Knowledge of statutory legislation (for example Children’s Act) and national policy drivers that will affect children’s services and your role.
⦁ An ability to coach and mentor other professionals i.e. NQSW, students etc.
⦁ Experience of addressing specific equality or diversity issues within your practice with colleagues/service users and taking action to solve them.
⦁ Appropriate understanding of how to undertake direct social work responsibilities as an allocated worker, manage caseloads, implement plans and provide assistance and support to help children and young people to achieve their aims, using appropriate interventions and casework methods.