Job Title: Children’s Senior Practitioner – Fostering Kinship
Salary: HC09 £40,777 - £45,091 (plus £5,000 market rate supplement per year £45,777 - £50,091)
Welcome payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37
Location: Multiple locations. Ross-on-Wye, Leominster and Hereford
Relocation package of up to £10,000 available
Closing date: 30/11/2025
Introduction
Our Fostering Kinship Team comprises of a Team Manager, Managing Practitioner, Senior Practitioners, Social Workers, and Family Support Workers.
We are proud of our restorative approach to social work - a way of working that is firmly embedded in our team culture and management style. Collaboration and reflection are at the heart of how we practice: senior managers are always available for guidance and support, especially when navigating complex cases.
Curious about what it’s really like to be a Social Worker with us?
Want to know what it really feels like to work with our passionate and dedicated Social Work teams? This short video gives you a glimpse into the heart of our service and shows why Herefordshire Council could be the perfect place for your next career move.
https://youtu.be/FSjU-FV5uic
The Role
We are seeking a skilled, experienced, and compassionate Senior Social Worker to join our Kinship Assessment Team.
In this vital role, you will take the lead in completing comprehensive assessments for Kinship Carers and Special Guardianship Order (SGO) support plans, often those involving additional complexity. Your work will help ensure that children are able to remain safely within their family networks wherever possible.
You will work collaboratively with children, families, and professionals to deliver high-quality, evidence-based assessments that reflect each child’s needs and promote long-term stability and permanence. As a senior member of the team, you will also provide peer support, mentoring, and guidance to colleagues, contributing to a culture of shared learning and professional growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Undertake comprehensive connected persons (kinship) assessments, including viability assessments and Special Guardianship reports.
- Engage with families in a sensitive, respectful, and inclusive manner, identifying both strengths and areas for support.
- Present assessments to fostering panels and contribute to care planning discussions and decision-making.
- Work in close collaboration with colleagues across fostering, safeguarding, and legal teams to ensure a coordinated approach.
- Support the development and promotion of best practice in kinship care across the service.
- Provide mentoring, guidance, and reflective support to less experienced staff as required.
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 the lives of children and young people across our communities.
To arrange an informal discussion, or ask any questions about the role, please contact
[email protected]
About You
- Passionate about making a difference for children and families through high-quality assessments and early intervention.
- Skilled in analysis, planning, and decision-making, ensuring each child’s needs are clearly understood and effectively met.
- Committed to working collaboratively, inclusively, and creatively with families and partner agencies to achieve the best outcomes.
- Resilient, reflective, and confident in managing complex situations and exercising sound professional judgment.
- Able to thrive in a supportive, fast-paced team environment, contributing to a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
- Registered with Social Work England and holding a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree, DipSW, or CQSW).
We Offer
A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Salary range of £40,777 - £45,091 per annum
- Market rate supplement: £5,000 per annum
- Welcome Payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)
- Retention payment: £2,000 - £4,000 depending on team.
- Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
- Professional development: protected time and budget to develop yourself and your career
- Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Career progression: clear pathways to progress
- Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
- Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
- Pick your perks - our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
Why Choose Us?
Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community.
Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.
It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practice approach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.
If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.
Herefordshire Council Plan
The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:
Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028
Reasonable Adjustments
Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [email protected].
If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.
Creating an inclusive workplace
We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.
For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.
Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations
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 application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
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.
We are 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.
How to apply
To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, the C&YP Recruitment Team will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too.
Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!
Please note: the council is currently unable to offer overseas visa sponsorship for Social Worker roles in Children & Young People. Overseas prospective candidates that require sponsorship to work in the UK should not apply for these roles. We appreciate your interest in Herefordshire Council and would encourage you to consider other opportunities with us that may be open to sponsorship. A full list of current vacancies can be found here: https://spiritofherefordshire.com/children-young-people/jobs/