Senior Practitioner - Children in Care

We Manage Jobs(WMJobs); Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A city children's care organization is looking for a Senior Practitioner for Children in Care. The role is hybrid, requiring strong leadership skills to improve social work practices. You will manage complex cases, work with a variety of partners, and ensure high-quality care and support for children and young people. Ideal candidates should possess a social work qualification and experience in a similar role.

Qualifications

• Experience in handling complex cases in social work.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant legislation and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead improvement in social work practice.
• Provide professional service to children and families.
• Manage complex caseload effectively.
• Foster partnerships with key agencies.

Skills

Leadership

Social Work Practice

Communication Skills

Knowledge of Legislation

Education

Social Work Qualification

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 5 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 to 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.

Position Summary

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.

• 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.