Advanced Practitioner - Permanence Hub

Sandwell Childrens Trust; Oldbury; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme (21.6%)

Career progression opportunities

Service awards for long service

Job summary

Sandwell Children's Trust in the UK is seeking an Advanced Practitioner for the Permanence Hub. You will lead practice, mentor social workers and oversee complex permanence work to secure safe, stable, lasting outcomes for children.

The role involves guidance across teams, quality assurance, and contributing to service improvement, while maintaining a small caseload to model best practice.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Experience in statutory children's services.
• Knowledge of permanence planning, reunification and court processes.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional mentoring, coaching and practice leadership to staff.
• Support complex permanence work including reunification planning and court proceedings.
• Undertake quality assurance activities and practice reviews.
• Deliver development sessions, workshops and reflective learning.
• Lead on permanence practice and disseminate specialist knowledge.

Skills

Social worker registration

Permanence planning

Mentoring

Assessment & report-writing

Analytical skills

Education

Social Worker registered with Social Work England

Job description

At Sandwell Children's Trust, we firmly believe that the voice of the child should be at the centre of everything we do. We are on an ambitious journey to ensure that children and families in Sandwell are safe and empowered to thrive.

Our‘Sandwell Deal’,brings together our new improved offering that make Sandwell Children's Trust a great place to work; it also sets out our expectations of you as a member of staff.

What we can offer you:-

• Generous annual leave of up to 31days, plus 5 additional days for long service recognition.
• Your birthday off paid in addition to annual leave entitlement and 8 Bank Holidays, plus a concessionary day at Christmas.
• You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme with employer contributions of 21.6%.
• We recognise individual loyalty with service awards from 2, 5, 10 and every 5 years onwards.
• Flexible working patterns that suit you and all of our roles have well-defined career progression.
• We provide competitive expenses for both mileage (55p per mile) and subsistence, plus access to a comprehensive employee benefits scheme.

Please visit The Sandwell Deal via this hyperlink

https://sandwelldeal.co.uk/

Fixed Term Contract until 31st March 2028

£50,908- £56,293 per annumdependent upon experience

Hybrid working

We're looking for exceptional candidates who are passionate, committed and dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people.

Make Permanence Matter

Are you an experienced social work practitioner with a passion for achieving lasting, positive outcomes for children? Do you thrive on supporting and developing others while maintaining high standards of practice? If so, we have an exciting opportunity to join our Permanence Hub as an Advanced Practitioner.

This is a key role for an ambitious and highly skilled social worker who wants to use their expertise to influence practice, support workforce development and help children achieve safe, stable and sustainable permanence through reunification and special guardianship orders.

About the Role

As an Advanced Practitioner within the Permanence Hub, you will provide expert practice leadership across the Hub, supporting social workers and family support workers to deliver outstanding outcomes for children and families. You will act as a specialist resource for permanence planning, helping practitioners navigate complex situations and ensuring interventions are evidence-based, child-focused and outcome-driven.

Working closely with Team Managers, Service Managers and the Social Work Academy, you will:

• Provide professional mentoring, coaching and practice leadership to social workers and family support workers.
• Support complex permanence work, including reunification planning, Special Guardianship, and court proceedings.
• Undertake quality assurance activities including audits, practice reviews, and thematic learning.
• Deliver practice development sessions, workshops, and reflective learning opportunities.
• Support practitioners to produce high-quality assessments, care plans, and court evidence.
• Lead on areas of permanence practice and disseminate specialist knowledge across services.
• Monitor and promote timely permanence planning, helping to reduce delay and improve outcomes for children.
• Contribute to service improvement initiatives and the embedding of excellent social work practice.
• The role also includes maintaining a small caseload of complex work, enabling you to model best practice and provide hands-on support to colleagues.

About You

We are looking for a confident and inspirational practitioner who:

• Is a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Has substantial experience of working with children and families within statutory children's services.
• Has significant knowledge of permanence planning, reunification, special guardianship and court processes.
• Demonstrates strong analytical, assessment and report-writing skills.
• Has experience of supporting, mentoring or developing other practitioners.
• Is passionate about improving practice and achieving the best possible outcomes for children.
• Can provide constructive challenge while supporting professional development and reflective practice.
• Keeps up to date with research, legislation, and developments in children's social care.
• A Practice Educator qualification is desirable.
• Candidates without a Practice Educator Award should either hold equivalent experience or be willing to work towards the qualification.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a service that is committed to:

• Delivering outstanding permanence outcomes for children. Investing in workforce development and professional growth.
• Creating a culture of learning, reflection, and continuous improvement.
• Promoting innovation, collaboration, and evidence-informed practice.
• Supporting practitioners to flourish and achieve their potential.
• If you are ready to take the next step in your career and play a pivotal role in shaping permanence practice, we would love to hear from you.

Join us and help children find the stable, loving, and lasting homes they deserve.

Please visit The Sandwell Deal via this hyperlink

https://sandwelldeal.co.uk/

By joining our team, you will be making a real difference in the lives of children and families. We are dedicated to driving meaningful change and ensuring the best outcomes for those we serve.With the work that we have done so far and with the ambitions we have for the future, it’s a really exciting time to join Sandwell Children's Trust and to become part of our Family.

Sandwell Children's Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable groups including children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children and young people.
If you require further information on the role or working for us please email [e-mail] a member of our Recruitment Team will be happy to give you a call.

Please note that pre-employment checks will be carried out in line with the Department for Education KCSIE Guidance 2022.

*Terms & Conditions apply for relocation allowance