Managing Practitioner - Assessment Team

Medirest Signature; Hereford; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A dedicated practice improving children’s services in Hereford seeks a Managing Practitioner to lead their Assessment Team. This role demands a qualified Social Worker with strong leadership skills to supervise staff and drive quality safeguarding practices. The position offers a competitive salary, generous benefits including a welcome payment and relocation support, and opportunities for professional development. Applicants are expected to have experience in social work and a passion for enhancing community welfare.

Benefits

Generous Annual Leave of 31 days

£10,000 Welcome Payment

Relocation package of up to £10,000

Professional development budget

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Must have a professional Social Work qualification.
• Experience in leadership and management in a social care setting.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and child welfare.

Responsibilities

• Supervise Family Support Workers and manage case reviews.
• Chair strategy meetings and lead reflective supervision sessions.
• Collaborate with partner agencies for safeguarding.

Skills

Leadership

Safeguarding

Collaboration

Education

Social Work Qualification

Job description

About The Role

Managing Practitioner – Assessment Team

Contract: Permanent

Location: Hereford

Hours: 37 hours

Salary: HC10£44,711 - £48,710 (plus market supplement of £5,000 per year £49,711 - £53,710)

£10,000 welcome payment

Relocation package of up to £10,000 available

Closing Date: 10 August 2025

The role

Join Us on Our Restorative Journey of Improvement — Achieving the Best for Children and Families in Herefordshire

We are seeking a Managing Practitioner to join our dynamic Assessment Team. In this pivotal role, you will supervise Family Support Workers and provide support to a diverse team that includes experienced Social Workers, ASYE practitioners, and student Social Workers on placement.

You will work closely with the Team Manager, contributing to key areas such as chairing strategy meetings, Child in Need (CIN) meetings, and conducting case reviews at critical checkpoints in the assessment process. Your leadership will help drive quality practice through reflective group supervision sessions and a solution-focused approach that prioritises partnership working with children, young people, and families to ensure they are safeguarded and empowered to achieve positive outcomes.

Additionally, you will play a vital role in safeguarding and risk management across Children’s Safeguarding services and in collaboration with partner agencies.

Come and be part of a committed team making a real difference in Herefordshire!

We Offer

• A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
• Basic Salary of £44,711 - £48,710 (plus market supplement of £5,000 per year £49,711 - £53,710)
• Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000.
• Welcome payment £10,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams.
• Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS).
• Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers. We have a diverse and comprehensive training offer in place to support you in your role.
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress and supported by the Social Care Academy to be a work-based supervisor with the potential to become a Practice Educator as a development pathway.
• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum.
• Flexible working: flexitime, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling.
• Payment of professional membership fees.
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

“Please note that 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/.”

About Us

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns.

Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People.

How do we do this? By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it's an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be!

Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole.

We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond.

Come to Herefordshire and join the journey.

Herefordshire Council is 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.

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 supporting statement that they serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, or their families. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant; and
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. Therefore, 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.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.

To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.

About The Company

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 2024-28