Senior Practitioner - Child Protection Court

We are looking for a dynamic and passionate Senior Practitioner to help us on our improvement journey. Working within the Child Protection & Court Teams you will work collaboratively with partner agencies to make a positive difference to society and the families that we work with. Come and join us on our Restorative Journey of Improvement to gain the best for children and families in Herefordshire.

As a Senior Practitioner, you have the opportunity to help us with the ongoing development of our staff in their knowledge, experience and practice. You will closely work with the managers to develop the team and deliver high quality service to our children, young people, and families. You will provide coaching, mentoring, training and support to apprentices, step up students and family support workers. Leading on areas of practice development and training within the wider service, you will support with the implementation of our practice standards, quality assurance framework, professional values, policies and procedures.

You will be fully qualified (DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent), with a minimum of 3 years’ experience in statutory social care and dedicated to delivering positive outcomes for our children. 

This is an exciting opportunity to join our developing team and contribute to creating a safe and supportive, yet challenging, learning environment for Herefordshire’s work force.  You will be supported by an established team with a strong commitment to relationship based practice, flexible working and professional development.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role of Senior Practitioner, please contact Deborah Morgan, Service Director for the Child Protection & Court Teams, direct by phone, 01432 261645, or by email, at [email protected]

Herefordshire is on a journey and we would like you to be part of our next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity to have a genuine impact on the local authority and help improve and protect the children and young people within it.

Herefordshire Council Child Protection & Court Teams

The Children’s Child Protection & Courts teams are based in the centre of Hereford with good transport links to get around the City as needed. The staff are very welcoming and are always keen to offer help and guidance if needed to anyone new to the team. There are 5 teams which are made up of a Team Manager, 1 Senior Practitioner, 6 Social Workers and 4 family support workers. We work in the main Herefordshire Council offices at Plough Lane working from the office gives everyone a chance to catch up and meet new staff and ask any questions, there is also flexibility for working at home.

We work alongside families in improving outcomes for their children, we have a restorative approach to social work and this is also evident in the team culture and senior management style as we are always available for discussions on complex matters which we work together to ensure the right outcome is achieved for our families.

The Social Workers work closely with the Council’s Legal Team to complete Court applications this can be a learning experience for Social Workers but plenty of support is available to help when needed, we have court progression officers who support the teams in ensuring we meet court timescales and identify any training that may be required to ensure that our staff feel equipped & supported.

Regular supervision takes place each month and you will have an allocated supervisor, who is available on a daily basis, for both formal and informal supervision sessions and case discussions.

We are happy to welcome new Social Workers so please consider joining us!

We Offer

A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Senior Practitioner starting salary: HC9 £39,513 – £43,693 per annum
• Market rate supplement: plus £5,000 per year 
• Welcome payment: £5,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams
• Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
• Pension Scheme: Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
• Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers.
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress to senior social worker level
• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
• Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees

Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts. 

About Us

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns.

Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People. 

How do we do this? By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it's an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be!

Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole. 

We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. 

Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Come to Herefordshire and join the journey.

Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.

We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered.

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme;
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant; and
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care. 

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.

To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.