C&YP
Senior Practitioner – Children in Care
Job Title: Children’s Senior Practitioner – Children in Care
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: Hereford
Relocation
package of up to £10,000 available
Closing date: Monday 30 March
Introduction
Our Children in Care service is made up of three teams. Each Team comprises of a Team Manager, 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
Are you
passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people and
supporting them to reach their full potential? We are seeking a highly skilled
and experienced Senior
Practitioner with 3 + years’ experience to join our Children in
Care Service.
In this
pivotal role, you will provide leadership, guidance, and oversight to social
workers supporting children and young people who are looked after. You will
ensure that assessments and interventions are robust, child-focused, and
delivered in a timely and effective manner. Your expertise will help ensure
that every child has a safe, stable, and nurturing environment in which to
thrive.
You will work
directly with children, young people, their families, and carers, building
positive, trusting relationships while providing professional oversight of
complex cases. You will lead on planning for children’s care, permanence, and
preparation for independence, ensuring their emotional wellbeing, education,
and future aspirations are supported.
As a Senior
Practitioner, you will act as a mentor and role model, providing guidance,
supervision, and coaching to social workers and colleagues. You will champion
best practice, contribute to service development, and support the team in
delivering high-quality, consistent, and child-focused care.
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 improving outcomes for children and young people
through high-quality safeguarding, robust assessments, and effective early
intervention.
· Experienced
in managing complex cases, demonstrating strong analytical,
planning, and decision-making skills to ensure each child’s needs are
thoroughly understood and effectively met.
· Committed
to collaborative and restorative practice,
working closely with families, carers, colleagues, and partner agencies to
achieve sustainable, positive outcomes.
· Resilient,
reflective, and professionally curious, with the
confidence to manage challenging situations and provide clear, evidence-based
guidance to teams and colleagues.
· Skilled
mentor and role model, leading by example and supporting the
development of colleagues through supervision, coaching, and embedding best
practice across the service.
· Thrives
in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, actively
contributing to a culture of continuous learning, improvement, and high
professional standards.
·
Registered with Social Work
England and holding a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree in Social
Work, 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/