Practitioner for Children in Care

Birmingham Children's Trust; Park Central; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Welcome payment

Retention payment

Relocation allowance

SW England fee paid

DBS fee paid

Annual leave 30 days

Early finish Friday

Car scheme

Free parking

Employee benefits

Hybrid working

Pension - LGPS

Gym discounts

Job summary

Birmingham Children’s Trust is seeking a Senior Practitioner for Children in Care to lead improvements in professional social work practice and oversee complex casework within the children and families service.

You will supervise and mentor social workers, coordinate team supervision, and advance safeguarding and permanency planning in partnership with police, health, schools and voluntary organisations.

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualifying experience in children's social care.
• Experience with Children in Care and complex safeguarding issues.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance.
• Excellent assessment, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to coach, mentor and support colleagues.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead improvements in professional social work practice across the casework cycle.
• Provide a needs-led, professional service to children and families in accordance with legislation.
• Undertake complex casework within children and family services.
• Share knowledge of legislation, standards, and procedures with the team.
• Be responsible for allocated complex caseloads.
• Foster joined-up, multi-agency partnership working.
• Provide quality assurance and coaching to colleagues.
• Commit to achieving outstanding outcomes for children and young people.

Skills

Post-qualifying experience

Children in Care

Legislation knowledge

Assessment & decision-making

Coaching & mentoring

Communication & relationships

Education

Social Work qualification

Social Work England registration

Job description

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy. Senior Practitioner for Children in Care - this is an exciting role and a great opportunity to develop your leadership skills and progress your career pathway in Social Work. You will hold up to a number of complex families with the remainder of the role focused on role modelling, supporting and developing good practice and consistent performance within your team alongside the Team Manager. You will coordinate and facilitate group supervision, advising and guiding social workers in their work with children and families and progressing tasks delegated by the Team Manager. At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are dedicated in providing outstanding care and support to children and families across Birmingham. Our mission is to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe, nurturing environment. We are a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation, committed to innovation and excellence in social work practice. Within children in care, our work is both varied and rewarding, working with children and young people aged 0-18 who are subject to both interim and final Care Orders or placed in local authority care under section 20. We support children living at home under care orders, within connected care placements / foster care/ residential / semi-supported settings. We hold care proceedings within our children in care service at the point of interim care order, through until final order. We have a strong focus upon achieving permanency for our children at the earliest opportunity along with progressing reunification where safe and appropriate to do so. Our services will always be joined up and you will develop robust partnerships with other teams and outside agencies; to include the police, health, schools and voluntary organisations. We have been rated as 'Good' by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children’s Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting. This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham and have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship. What you’ll be doing:

• To provide a lead role in improving the quality of professional social work practice across the breadth of the case work cycle to children, young people and their families.
• To provide a needs-led, professional social work service to children, young people and their families, complying with legislative requirements and in accordance with established best practice.
• To provide a needs-led, professional social work service to children, young people and their families, complying with legislative requirements and in accordance with established best practice.
• To undertake complex casework arising within the children and family services.
• To share/communicate a thorough working knowledge of relevant legislation, national standards, guidance, research, departmental policy and procedures.
• To be responsible for allocated cases including a complex caseload.
• To take a 'joined-up' approach to ensuring the effectiveness of case working, actively promoting/encouraging effective partnership working with service users and other teams/agencies/organisations.
• To provide quality assurance and coaching/mentoring to work colleagues.
• A commitment to achieving outstanding outcomes for children and young people.

We're looking for someone who has:

• A recognised Social Work qualification.
• Current Social Work England registration.
• Significant post-qualifying experience within children's social care.
• Experience working with Children in Care and managing complex safeguarding issues.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, and child development.
• Excellent assessment, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• The ability to coach, mentor, and support colleagues to develop their practice.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

At the Trust, we value our people and are committed to supporting your professional development, wellbeing, and work-life balance. When you join us, you'll benefit from:

• In addition to the salary offered, there is an welcome payment of £1,000 paid in full in your first months salary - T&C's will apply.
• A Retention payment of up to £5,000 per annum paid monthly subject to tax and NI deductions - T&C's will apply.
• A relocation allowance of up to £8,000 - T&C's will apply.
• Payment of your Social Work England registration fee.
• Payment of your DBS application fee, plus reimbursement of your DBS Update Service subscription.
• A generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, plus bank holidays, increasing to 33 days after 5 years' service and 35 days after 10 years' service.
• An early finish every Friday, helping you make the most of your weekend.
• Access to our Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme, offering the opportunity to drive a brand-new car through an affordable fixed monthly payment, with no deposit or credit checks and a range of all-inclusive driving packages.
• Free on-site parking at our One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley) offices, including free electric vehicle charging points.
• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including Occupational Health services, reward and recognition schemes, employee discounts (including the Blue Light Card), health and fitness offers, wellbeing support, and much more.
• Flexible and hybrid working, with a range of working patterns that support both the needs of the Trust and a healthy work-life balance.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, providing a generous career average pension.
• Discounted gym memberships with PureGym and Nuffield Health to support your health and wellbeing.