Permanence Senior Social Work Practitioner

Leicestershire County Council; Wanlip; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is seeking a Senior Practitioner in the Permanence Team to manage complex child care cases and lead on adoption planning. You will collaborate with fieldwork teams to twin track care plans, prepare court documents, and provide detailed analyses to support matching and placement.

You will chair meetings, supervise staff, and drive trauma-informed service development. A driving licence and access to a vehicle are required, with flexible/hybrid working options

Qualifications

• Social Work degree or equivalent (CQSW, DipSW) and registration with Social Work England.
• Experience supervising workers or students.
• Knowledge of signs of safety and trauma-informed practice.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operation of the Permanence Team under the Team Manager.
• Chair pod meetings, family finding tracking, and provide reflective support for social work staff.
• Lead practice development to embed trauma-informed care across service delivery.
• Complete Child Permanence Reports, Adoption Support Plans, and Annex A with high standards and tight deadlines.
• Support matching, introduction and placement with robust analysis of child needs.

Skills

Leadership

Trauma-informed practice

Analytical ability

Collaboration with families

Communication

Education

Social Work degree or equivalent (CQSW, DipSW)

Tools

Driving licence (full) & vehicle access

Job description

The Senior Practitioner in the Permanence Team will have a case load of complex cases whereby they will work alongside the fieldwork teams when care plans are being twin tracked with a plan of adoption. The Senior Practitioner will complete Child Permanence Reports and Sibling Assessments during court proceedings and will take the lead for ensuring that the child is fully prepared and that adopters are well supported by providing all relevant paperwork that gives detailed and robust analysis of the child's predicted needs based on their past experiences. This will inform matching, introduction and placement support.

• Under the direction of the Team Manager, to be responsible overseeing the day-to-day operation of the Permanence Team, including deputising for the Team Manager where needed.
• To be a practice leader for signs of safety, chairing pod meetings, family finding tracking internally, on link maker and within the FAL region and to offer reflective support for social work and support staff within the team.
• To be a driver in practice development in line with our service delivery plans, including our work to embed trauma informed practice across our service delivery.
• Be able to complete reports such as Child Permanence Reports, Adoption Support plans and Annex A's to a high standard and working within tight deadlines where needed. The applicant will need to demonstrate substantial experience in statutory social work practice and excellent analytical ability evidenced in child care assessments and to manage the competing demands of working within both care proceedings and family finding and adoption placement support simultaneously. They will need to have a good working knowledge of adoption regulations, and the research base underpinning our work and a proven track record in transferring this knowledge into high standard of direct work with children and families. An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post.

We are looking for someone who has experience of supervising the work of others, supporting the team's development as well supporting the team managers to deliver service development across our practice. The Senior Practitioner will also chair the matching meetings for long-term fostering cases to provide an additional level of oversight to those matches. Ideally the applicant will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of our continuous improvement journey, including becomes a trauma informed service and areas for development going forward.

• Be able to evidence your skills and knowledge of creative, innovative, and relationship-based social work, working in collaboration with families and professionals. Ideally you will already be confident in the application of the Signs of Safety methodology.
• Have a Social Work degree or equivalent, e.g. CQSW, DipSW (with specialism in children's services) and be registered with Social Work England. As well as experience of supervising workers and/or students.
• Have a full valid driving licence and access to a vehicle.

In addition, we also expect you to share and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process. Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a . Interested in Flexible Working? We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone. Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose. For further information on what it's like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following