Senior Practitioner - Fostering and Connected Persons

Kirklees Council; Kirklees; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Kirklees Council is seeking a Senior Practitioner to support foster carers and complete vital assessments. This role involves regular home visits, safeguarding duties, and collaboration with various teams to enhance the lives of vulnerable children. Join a supportive team committed to making a real difference.

Benefits

Regular reflective supervision meetings

Career progression pathways

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with current registration.
• Strong understanding of relevant legislation.
• Experience in completing assessments for fostering.

Responsibilities

• Support foster carers to provide safe homes.
• Conduct assessments and approvals for connected persons.
• Gather and analyze information for viability assessments.

Skills

Safeguarding

Analytical writing

Child and family dynamics

Assessment skills

Strengths-based approach

Education

Qualified Social Worker

Current Social Work England registration

Job description

Senior Practitioner - Fostering and Connected Persons

We adopt a ‘name blind’ approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made - please note that this also includes any CV uploaded. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.

Organisation Kirklees

Directorate Children & Families

Service Area Child Protection & Family Support

Hours 37

Number of Jobs 2

Location(s) Across Kirklees

Position type Temporary

Length of contract 31 July 2026

Grade Grade 12

We are recruiting to 2 fixed term (12 month) roles within our connected persons assessment and fostering supervisory social work teams.

Our supervising social work team support our approved foster carers to provide safe, loving homes to children when they need it most. Supervising social workers will play a key role in helping vulnerable children and young people find a foster home that can transform their future. Supervising social workers complete regular home visits with the foster family and checks that children are being well cared for. They also help the foster carer with learning and development, and offer them emotional support. Supervising social workers visit homes and keep in touch with both carers and young people, becoming an essential point of contact for all – a safeguarding champion with everyone’s best interests at heart. As a key team member in Kirklees Fostering Service, you will make sure that our children and young people are safe and secure, that they are well looked after, and that our high standards are consistently maintained. Through your passion and commitment, you will inspire carers to grow in confidence and achieve their potential, with a real impact on the children they care for.

In our connected persons assessment, you will complete timely and robust viability assessments, Special Guardianship Order (SGO) assessments, and foster carer approvals for connected persons. Working closely with children’s teams, family members, and legal services, you'll gather and analyse information to make clear, evidence-based recommendations that can stand up in court if required.

What We’re Looking For:

• Qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, permanence planning, and relevant legislation (e.g., Children Act 1989, Fostering Regulations)
• Experience in completing assessments, including family and friends foster care and/or SGO reports
• Excellent analytical writing skills and a sensitivity to the complex dynamics of both fostering and kinship care
• A flexible, strengths-based approach that puts children and families at the centre of practice

It’s great to work in our team because:

• we all work together to assess and retain carers and achieve better outcomes for children
• there’s lots of opportunity to work together, use your own initiative and learn whilst on the job
• you'll build a positive and supportive relationship with all of your peers
• we have a great sense of team work
• we have a high retention rate of staff
• there’s a clear pathway to progress your career
• you'll have regular reflective supervision meetings
• our team members feel that their manager invests in them

We’d love for you to join our team as a fostering supervising social worker or a connected persons assessment social worker!

The interviews are expected to take place:Friday 11th July 2025

Zoe Prince is the manager for this role, please contact them on 01484 221000 for an informal discussion, or if you need any more information.

This job is subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level, please refer to the Job Description/Profile. A conviction may not exclude candidates from appointment but will be considered as part of the recruitment process.

We know there’s a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and we encourage applications from people with all differing abilities. So, if you need any support completing an application form, or any other format for the application or Job Description please contact the Recruitment Team for help by email: [e-mail] or phone: [phone] and ask for ‘Recruitment’.

If you are internal and want to apply for this job as a secondment you must be a substantive employee of the Council with over 6 months continuous service and have successfully completed your probation period.

Applications for secondments will only be accepted if approved by your manager, you will be asked to confirm on your application form that you have the relevant permission. If you are refused permission to apply for a secondment, please contact HR Recruitment to register the refusal.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.