Senior Practitioner - Children with Disabilities - Grade 15 (£53,607 - £55,620)

Your Croydon; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Croydon Council seeks a Senior Practitioner for their Children with Disabilities Service. This leadership role involves managing a social work team, supporting family interventions, and driving service improvements. The successful candidate will have substantial social work experience and a commitment to enhancing outcomes for children and families.

Benefits

29–31 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible hybrid working

Management development programmes

Employee discount schemes

Wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England required.
• Significant experience in statutory children's services is essential.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills are necessary.

Responsibilities

• Lead a statutory social work team and manage complex cases.
• Mentor social workers and family support workers.
• Contribute to service development and performance improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Social Work

Case Management

Systemic Practice

Anti-Racist Practice

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

Senior Practitioner – Children with Disabilities | Croydon Council

Croydon Council | Grade 15 (£53,607 - £55,620) + £2,500 Retention Payment

Permanent | 36 hours per week | Hybrid Working

Step into Leadership and Make a Lasting Impact

Are you an experienced and passionate social worker ready to step into a leadership role?Join Croydon Council as aSenior Practitionerin our Children with Disabilities Service and take the next step in your career. This is a unique opportunity to lead by example—supporting a skilled team, shaping practice, and making a lasting difference in the lives of children and families. If you're ready to combine frontline expertise with team leadership, we want to hear from you.

About the Role

We are seeking a confident and capable practitioner to support theTeam Managerin leading a statutory social work team. You’ll play a key role in:

• Delivering high-quality, relationship-based practice with children and families
• Supporting and mentoring social workers, family support workers, and newly qualified staff
• Managing complex cases and risk assessments
• Contributing to service development and performance improvement
• Working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Be a key part of a high expectation and high challenge culture, delivering outstanding services to children and families

This is a pivotal role for someone who thrives in a dynamic setting and is passionate about improving outcomes for children with disabilities.

About You

We’re looking for someone who brings both heart and expertise to the role. You’ll need:

• A Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England
• Significant experience in statutory children’s services (experience with disabilities is desirable)
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills
• A deep understanding of relevant legislation, policy, and systemic practice
• Confidence in managing complex cases and supporting team development
• Knowledge of models of reflective supervision that impact on practice and outcomes.
• A commitment to anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice

A foundation-level systemic practice qualification is desirable, but not essential.

Why Join Croydon?

At Croydon, we’re proud of our diverse community and committed to delivering outstanding services. We offer:

• A well-establishedSystemic Practice model
• A supportive, experienced team and reflective supervision
• Flexible hybrid working to support your wellbeing
• A strong focus oncareer developmentandCPD
• A culture that values innovation, inclusion, and collaboration

Benefits

• Competitive salary + £2,500 retention payment
• 29–31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with option to purchase more
• Local Government Pension Scheme (average employer contribution of 20%)
• Accredited Systemic Practice training
• Management development programmes
• Employee discount schemes (Cycle to Work, retail discounts, and more)
• Wellbeing support and flexible working arrangements

Apply Now

Ready to lead with purpose and make a real difference? Apply today and be part of a team that’s transforming lives in Croydon.

To view the Senior Practitioner role profile click here

Closing date: 15 August 2025 @ 11.59pm

Disclaimer

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.The Successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check which allows them to work with children.

Additional Information