Senior Practitioner - Children in Care - Basildon

Senior Practitioner - Children in Care – Basildon

Salary: 38k – 46k PA

Full-Time (37 hours)

Job summary and Responsibilities

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda – one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We’re immensely proud of our flexible working options.

In ECC we are “Serious about Social Work”. Having recently won the Best Social Work Employer of the Year Award 2018 and been awarded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted this is an exciting time to join us. As if that wasn’t enough, Essex has also been announced as a Partner in Practice by the Department of Education, and the Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA) is the only Local Authority team in the country to be accredited by BASW as a CPD provider. We have invested in our workforce and created a positive environment for our social workers to make a difference and achieve change for our most vulnerable children and families through direct relationship-based social work practice. We have supported our staff to have an understanding of systemic theoretical framework and models underpinning our interventions; to have access to the right tools, equipment and resources; and also the right supervision, training and learning opportunities they need to be strong practitioners.

The Role

The senior practitioner is responsible for the management of their own cases and support of social work staff in the management of complex child protection and child in need cases, or children looked after. Whilst this will include investigation, assessment and purposeful intervention, the primary role within Children and Families is to achieve positive change within families wherever possible, with the aim of enabling children to remain within their home. This will be achieved through implementation of the child protection, child in need plan and achieving permanency through care planning for children in care.

Children in Care

Our children in care teams work with children and young people who are in care up to the age of 18. Children in care teams provide a high-quality service to children who are unable to live at home and are placed with foster carers or live in residential homes. The work includes ensuring that all statutory requirements are met and include undertaking care proceedings, supporting children who return home, developing permanency plans which include special guardianship orders (SGO) and adoption plans. Teams are committed to high quality work and engagement with all children in care to maximise the potential of young people. They work with a range of agencies, including health and education to ensure that care plans are effective.

Why work with us in Basildon?

• Free onsite parking for staff, easily accessible via A13/A127
• Great team morale, friendly, helpful, supportive colleagues
• Permanent managers in both areas who are supportive, encouraging and available
• All teams are based in the same offices which is great for collaborative working
• Great training pathways for staff, encouragement to all staff for their continual professional development
• Good working relationships with other teams and professionals. Step down processes to partner agencies embedded
• Staff are provided with monthly reflective supervision
• We are passionate about the use of systemic thinking/practice in interventions.

Knowledge, skills and experience

To play a key part in transforming the lives of children and families, you will have a Diploma or Degree in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent and Registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) as Registered Social Worker. Be able to demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards e.g. Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS)

Qualification certificates should be brought to interview.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

We offer:

• 24 hour one on one specialist social work consultant based within your geographical area
• 4Recruitment Services Employee Benefits Programme
• Our own dedicated payroll support ensuring you get the full benefits of your payment

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.