Children's Practitioner

Aberdeen City Council; Aberdeen City; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in Aberdeen is looking for a Children's Practitioner to work directly with looked after children, supporting family contact and collaborating with social workers. Candidates should have at least a minimum qualification in childcare or social care, and demonstrate strong communication and relationship-building skills. The role offers flexible working options.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Disability Confident Employer

Forces-friendly employer

Qualifications

• Minimum of HNC in Childcare or equivalent required.
• SSSC Registration if appropriate is a must.
• PVG membership is necessary.

Responsibilities

• Direct work with children in need and supporting family contact arrangements.
• Collaborate with social workers to keep child's voice central to planning.

Skills

Commitment to principles of Reclaiming Social Work

Ability to work with children and families

Effective interventions with children

Concise report writing

Excellent verbal communication

Computer literacy

Prioritization and workload management

Promotion of Equal Opportunities

Education

HNC Childcare and Education or equivalent

HNC Social Care

BA Social Work or equivalent

Relevant diploma/degree qualification with experience

Job description

R oles that require PVG Membership

Please note that with effect from 1 April 2023 , where a role requires PVG membership, candidates will be required to meet the cost of the PVG membership . This applies only to roles with a full time equivalent salary of £30,000 and above . (Teaching roles and jobs at Grade 11 and above (currently £30,285 per annum / £ 16.64 per hour)

The Council will pay for the PVG membership cost initially, either £18 for existing PVG scheme members, or £59 for non-members , and this cost will be deducted from an employee’s first FULL month’s salary payment.

Job purpose/about the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Children in Need Team for a Children's Practitioner. The role involves direct work with children who are looked after away from their families of origin, supporting them in contact arrangements with their families and working alongside the social worker to ensure that we are keeping the child's voice at the centre of planning

The post holder needs to hold as a minimum:

• HNC Childcare and Education or equivalent or,
• HNC Social Care or,
• BA Social Work or equivalent or,
• a relevant diploma / degree qualification with experience of working with children and families
• SSSC Registration if appropriate
• PVG

The postholder is able to demonstrate:

• A commitment to principles of Reclaiming Social Work
• The ability to work with children and families in their homes and have experience of building relationships with children, young people and parents/carers
• The ability to implement effective interventions with children and families
• The ability to write concise reports and have excellent verbal communication skills
• Computer literacy and the skills necessary to work with information management systems and produce good quality data in a variety of formats
• The ability to thrive in a complex and demanding environment
• The ability to prioritise tasks, manage own workload and be accountable for case work with children and families
• The ability to actively support and promote Equal Opportunities

About Us

Please see the Job Profile for further details.

We are happy to talk flexible working and offer flexible working for most roles in the organisation meaning that many of our employees enjoy the freedom of choosing a working pattern that suits them as much as it suits the organisation.

Disability Confident

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you consider yourself to have a disability and think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made for this part of the selection process, or would like further information in relation to reasonable adjustments, please [e-mail] .

We are a forces-friendly employer, have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a silver award recipient in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. We have a specific email address for those in the forces, those who have left the forces, as well as their partners / spouses / families:[e-mail] . We are able to answer questions about jobs and our application / selection process, as well as about our employee support provisions.

We have a number of guaranteed interview schemes available to applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role they are applying for who:

• have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 (all jobs)
• looked after young people, those that are in continuing care or are a care leaver up to the age of 29 (all jobs)
• are aged 16-24 and live in Aberdeen City or have been to an Aberdeen City Council school and are applying for a Modern Apprenticeship (except Trades apprenticeships)
• have done a Foundation Apprenticeship with Aberdeen City Council and are applying for any apprenticeships relevant to the area in which they did their Foundation Apprenticeship
• are New Scots aged 16-24 and are applying for any apprenticeships

Please note that eligibility to work in the UK is dependent on legal status and all applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK.