Advanced Practitioner - Support and Safeguarding

Northamptonshire Children's Trust; Northampton; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local social care organization in Northampton is looking for an Advanced Practitioner to provide effective social care, supervise new social workers, and ensure compliance with legislation. The ideal candidate will have strong social work expertise and a commitment to continuous development. A competitive benefits package, including a welcome bonus of £6,000 and generous annual leave, is offered.

Benefits

Welcome Bonus of £6,000

Relocation costs up to £8,000

28 days annual leave plus additional days after 5 years

Employee Assistance Programme

Flexible working arrangements

Extensive training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in supervising and mentoring social workers.
• Ability to manage a complex caseload effectively.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Deliver social care services to achieve best outcomes for families.
• Supervise and support less experienced social workers.
• Ensure adherence to legislation and local policies.

Skills

Social work expertise

Analysis and decision making

Mentoring and supervision

Knowledge of legislation and best practices

Education

Qualified social worker

Completed ASYE

Job description

“We have a cohesive team and a very supportive working environment, where everyone pitches in. I thoroughly enjoy my role in the support and safeguarding team, surrounded by excellent colleagues who are all there for each other. The opportunities for development and mentoring have been superb. I have always been encouraged to progress and learn.”

Yoko, Advanced Practitioner Support and Safeguarding Team

Our support and safeguarding teams are nurturing and supportive with their own unique identities. They cover a large diverse county with several offices across Northamptonshire including; Northampton, Daventry, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough.

These teams support children and young people who are subject to a Child Protection Plan, Child in Need plan and, if appropriate, court proceedings. This kind of social work often takes place over several months and involves regular visits with families.

Focused on positive outcomes, they work in challenging yet supportive and collaborative ways.

Working alongside other professionals, the team help put together plans to reduce the risks and areas of unmet needs to help children/ young people to remain with their families when it is safe to do so.

Our friendly, supportive Safeguarding teams work in a creative and solution focussed way to keep children, young people and families together when it is safe to do so. The team are highly supportive and use a relational practice approach. Colleagues within the teams describe them as their ‘work family’. Managers within the teams are approachable and supportive.

Our benefits

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

• SWE Registration paid yearly (social care colleagues)
• Recruitment Welcome Bonus of £6,000
• Relocation costs of up to £8,000
• Retention bonus payments for established personnel
• 28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days, after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
• Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
• A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
• Extensive Learning & Development and career development opportunities
• Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

What will you be doing?

The Advanced Practitioner will be confident in their analysis and decision making to deliver purposeful and effective social care, to achieve the best outcomes for children, young people and families. You will undertake work with children, young people and families that require you to have advanced social work expertise, maintaining a small caseload and jointly allocating cases with less experienced social workers.

You will supervise, support, advise, and mentor newly qualified and less experienced colleagues handling complex or high-risk cases. This includes authorising assessments, plans, and related documentation.

Your role will also involve guiding and mentoring social workers to ensure their adherence to legislation, statutory guidance, local policies, and best practices in safeguarding vulnerable children, supporting looked-after children, and planning for permanence.

About you

We are seeking to recruit an experienced, enthusiastic, and dedicated Advanced Practitioner who shares a passion in supporting the progression of others. The Advanced Practitioner role is ideal for a Social Worker looking to develop their skills and experience. You will receive support from the Team Manager with regular supervision, numerous training opportunities and a commitment to your on-going professional development.

The ideal candidate will be confident in their analysis and decision making to deliver purposeful and effective social care and have a strong desire to develop social work expertise to support NCT on its improvement journey.

You will be a qualified social worker, who has completed your ASYE, and have the commitment and passion to be at the forefront of delivering best practice and support to children and families. You will be able to manage a complex and diverse caseload to the required standards.

We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email: Stacey Poe, Service Manager [e-mail], Team Manager Ciaran Perry [e-mail] and they can agree a mutually agreeable time to call you.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do – in every decision we make and every action we take. Our mission is driven by the unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for them. The Trust is wholly owned and funded but operationally independent from the Councils.

Our workforce are our most valuable asset and are pivotal to making the services and support we offer to children, young people and families who need us to be the absolute best we can be.

We value our colleagues and empower them to be able to do the best job of their lives every single day, working in a culture of support and kindness where achievements are celebrated and creativity is very much welcomed.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation. We are a disability confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

Join our dedicated team and be a part of an organisation where your work makes a real difference.