Senior Practitioner

Bridgend County Borough Council; Bridgend; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Bridgend County Borough Council is seeking a Senior Practitioner to join the Foster Wales Bridgend service. The role focuses on managing the General Fostering Team, recruiting and supporting foster carers, and ensuring high-quality service delivery across three teams.

A Welsh-speaking capability is a requirement. You will work in a collaborative environment with hybrid working arrangements, delivering supervision and developing best practices in line with policy and legislation.

Qualifications

• A recognised Social Work qualification is required.
• Registration with Social Care Wales is required.
• Willingness to work towards a Management qualification.

Responsibilities

• Assist management in the General Fostering Team with recruitment, assessment, review and support of General Foster Carers.
• Provide supervision to some team members and lead designated areas of good practice and service development.
• Collaborate with Children's teams within the Local Authority, including the Care Experienced Team, 15+ team and Kinship/Permanence teams.
• Manage a caseload of complex cases and contribute to developing an efficient, effective fostering service.

Skills

Leadership

Caseload management

Team supervision

Education

Social Work qualification

Registration with Social Care Wales

Management qualification (towards)

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Contractual hours 37

Basis Full time

Job category/type Social Care – Adults/Children

Date posted 22/10/2026

Job reference 19235

37 hours per week

Temporary up to September 2028

An exciting opportunity for a Senior Practitioner who enjoys working within a challenging, fast paced service has arisen within Foster Wales Bridgend.

The Fostering Team are part of the Cwm Taff Region and as part of our approach to recruiting additional foster carers we have developed a regional front door to ensure a timely response to any new enquiries.

We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and knowledgeable Senior Practitioner to assist the management team in the General Fostering Team in the management, co-ordination and development of the team, in recruiting, assessing, reviewing and supporting General Foster Carers.

The successful candidate will work closely with the management team to develop and ensure an efficient and effective service for foster carers, care experienced children, fostering households and support networks in line with the current policies, best practice, legislation, procedures and reporting systems.

The successful candidate will hold a caseload of complex cases and provide supervision to some team members, taking a lead role in the developing and implementing designated areas of good practice and service development.

The role will involve collaborative working across all the Childrens teams within the Local Authority, in particular the Care Experienced Team and 15+ team who support children looked after and external providers. We also work closely with the Kinship and Permanence Team who supported connected persons foster carers and Special Guardians.

We are a small and friendly team with great learning and development opportunities for staff to progress their career aspirations.

Bridgend County Borough is a great place to live and work. It occupies an enviable position between Swansea and Cardiff and stretches from the scenic valleys to our beautiful coastline – presenting easy access to urban centres as well as picturesque rural and coastal settings. With excellent schools, affordable housing and excellent public services, there is something for everyone here, and plenty to do all year round to support work/ life balance.

A Social Work qualification is required along with registration with Social Care Wales as a Registered Social Worker along with a willingness to work towards a Management qualification.

If you require any information please contact Amanda De Leon Capdesuner, Team Manager General Fostering on 07483396337 / 01656 643420 or [e-mail]

The ability to greet customers through the medium of Welsh is a requirement for this post.

Protecting children, young people or adults at risk is a core responsibility of all council employees.

An Enhanced Children and Adults Barred list criminal records check by the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) is a requirement for this post.

A valid driving licence is requirement for this post.

The council’s Hybrid Working Policy applies to this post. This provides a framework for establishing how you will undertake working hours between your home and the office.