Senior Practitioner

Birmingham Children's Trust; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retention bonus up to £5,000

30 days annual leave + bank holidays

Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme

Free on-site parking

Local Government Pension Scheme

Reimbursement of SWE registration fee

Flexible hybrid working

Continuous Service Recognition

Employee benefits scheme

Job summary

Birmingham Children’s Trust is recruiting a Senior Practitioner for our Kinship Assessment Teams in Birmingham. You will lead kinship assessment work, provide professional guidance, supervise colleagues, and drive high-quality social work practice across the service.

We are a passionate service focused on safeguarding, permanence planning and collaborative working with partners. This hybrid role requires a social work qualification and SWE registration, with a commitment to best practice and

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified Social Worker and registered with Social Work England (SWE).
• Minimum of 3 years post-qualification experience (PQE).
• Experience leading, supervising and mentoring others in social work practice.
• Ability to provide guidance and leadership in kinship assessments and permanence planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead on embedding best practice across the Kinship Assessment Teams.
• Provide expert advice and consultation on kinship assessments.
• Quality assure kinship assessments and support plans to ensure child-centred, evidence-based practice.
• Support timely decision-making and safeguarding outcomes for children.

Skills

Qualified Social Worker

SWE registration

Kinship assessment experience

Court proceedings experience

Supervision and mentorship

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Time management

Communication skills

Education

Social Work degree

Job description

An exciting permanent opportunity has arisen within the Fostering Service for a Senior Practitioner to join one of our three dedicated Kinship Assessment Teams.

We are a passionate and committed social work service, led by experienced leaders who are dedicated to supporting, advising and guiding prospective kinship carers throughout the assessment process. Our work is central to the Trust's commitment to ensuring children can remain within their family networks wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so, helping them achieve the best possible outcomes throughout their childhood.

The service delivers a high-quality, robust and fast-paced assessment service, including Regulation 24 viability assessments, Form K Kinship Fostering Assessments and Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Assessments. We pride ourselves on providing thorough, evidence-based assessments that support timely decision-making and positive outcomes for children and families.

As a Senior Practitioner, you will bring significant experience of kinship assessment work and court proceedings. You will play a key role in supporting and developing a skilled team of Senior Social Workers, helping to drive service excellence and continuous improvement. You will provide professional guidance, reflective supervision and practice leadership, fostering a culture of learning, development and high-quality social work practice.

Working within a supportive and experienced team, you will lead on embedding and enhancing best practice across the service. You will provide expert advice and consultation to colleagues across the Trust on kinship assessments and permanency planning. In addition, you will quality assure kinship assessments and support plans, ensuring they are robust, child-centred, evidence-based and completed within required timescales. Through your leadership and oversight, you will help ensure that assessments and plans are effective in promoting children's welfare, securing permanence and keeping children safe.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner who is passionate about kinship care and making a lasting difference to the lives of children and families.

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.

About You

The ideal candidate will:

• Be a qualified Social Worker and registered with Social Work England (SWE)
• Have a minimum of 3 years’ post-qualified experience (PQE)
• Demonstrate the ability to supervise, support, and mentor others in developing their practice
• Provide guidance and leadership in social work practice
• Show flexibility, enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to collaborative working
• Have proven experience working effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including statutory and voluntary agencies
• Possess a solid understanding of relevant legislation, enabling confident analysis and effective intervention
• Exhibit excellent organisational and time management skills
• Communicate clearly and effectively, including experience using communication aids
• Take a compassionate, patient, and person-centred approach to delivering high-quality care
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, professionals, and a wide range of stakeholders

Our offer to you

• You will receive a retention payment of up to £5,000 (terms and conditions apply).
• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme which gives you the chance to drive a brand-new car for an affordable fixed monthly amount as part of a salary sacrifice initiative. With no deposits or credit checks required a range of all-inclusive driving packages.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Full reimbursement of your annual Social Work England registration fee.
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
• Continuous Service Recognition - Thank You employee badge when first joining the Trust. Plus, Years of Service badge awarded for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35+ years of service.
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!

Additional Information

Interview date: Wednesday 7th October, in person, at Lifford House (Stirchley)

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please email Natasha Al-Mossili: [e-mail]

Onboarding Process

Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian Including DBS, Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements.

Help us to change children and young people’s lives

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.

Why Join Us

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.