Senior Practitioner - Assessment Team - Cambridgeshire

Caritas Recruitment; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package

Sponsorship swap option

Retention payment scheme

Job summary

Cambridgeshire County Council is hiring a Senior Practitioner to join the Children's Assessment Team on a permanent basis. The role offers hybrid working from Cambridge, a salary of £46,956–£50,157 per year, and a 37-hour full-time contract.

The Senior Practitioner will manage complex cases, provide professional leadership, and support the Team Manager with workload planning and supervision. Relocation and sponsorship options are available.

Qualifications

• Qualified social worker with Social Work England registration.
• Extensive experience with children, families and safeguarding.
• Experience leading complex case management and court work.
• Full UK driving licence and ability to travel within the county.

Responsibilities

• Manage a complex children's social work caseload.
• Lead statutory assessments, strategy discussions and Section 47 enquiries.
• Undertake safeguarding, risk assessment and court work.
• Produce high-quality analytical reports, including court work.
• Coach and mentor colleagues, modelling strong social work practice.
• Provide professional leadership around complex cases and risk management.
• Support the Team Manager with workload planning, allocation and development.

Skills

Complex case management

Professional leadership

Mentoring/coaching

Risk assessment

Education

Social Work qualification

Social Work England registration

Job description

Senior Practitioner - Assessment Team

Cambridgeshire County Council
£46,956 - £50,157 per annum
Permanent | Full Time, 37 hours
Hybrid working | Cambridge

Caritas Recruitment is working with Cambridgeshire County Council to recruit an experienced Senior Practitioner to join their Children's Assessment Team on a permanent basis.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Children's Social Worker ready to take on greater responsibility, managing complex cases while providing practice support, mentoring and guidance to colleagues. The role involves highly complex casework, professional leadership, risk management and supporting the Team Manager when required.

The Role

The Assessment Team is the first point of contact for statutory intervention, working in a fast-paced environment to deliver timely and proportionate responses for children and families.

As Senior Practitioner, you will:

• Manage a complex and varied children's social work caseload.
• Lead statutory assessments, strategy discussions and Section 47 enquiries.
• Undertake complex safeguarding, risk assessment and court work.
• Produce high-quality analytical reports, including work for court.
• Support, coach and mentor colleagues, modelling strong social work practice.
• Provide professional leadership around complex cases and risk management.
• Support the Team Manager with workload planning, allocation, supervision and the development of the team.

What We're Looking For

You’ll need to be an experienced Children's Social Worker with:

• A recognised Social Work qualification.
• Current Social Work England registration.
• Extensive experience working with children, young people and families.
• Strong experience of complex case management, safeguarding, child protection investigations and court work.
• The ability to assess and manage complex risk and make sound professional decisions.
• Experience supporting colleagues through coaching, mentoring or practice leadership.
• A full UK driving licence and the ability to travel across the county.

Salary & Benefits

£46,956 - £50,157, dependent on complex case experience.

There is also an additional retention payment scheme:

• After 1 year: £1,174
• After 2 years: £3,522
• After 3 years: £4,696
• After 4 years: £1,500 each year thereafter

A relocation package is available, along with a sponsorship swap option.

Location

Hybrid working with a mix of home and office working, currently requiring 3-4 days in the office. The stated base is Fawcett House, Trumpington, Cambridge, although this may change as part of the Council's Asset Review.