Senior Practitioner - Fostering Kinship

We Manage Jobs(WMJobs); England; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in Herefordshire is seeking a Senior Practitioner in Fostering Kinship to conduct complex assessments for kinship carers. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills and a passion for child welfare. The role offers a competitive salary, including a £10,000 welcome payment and additional benefits such as flexible working arrangements. Join a dedicated team and make a meaningful difference in children's lives.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous annual leave

Relocation package

Access to specialist training

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Qualified and registered social worker.
• Substantial experience in fostering or kinship care.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with families.

Responsibilities

• Complete full kinship assessments including viability assessments.
• Engage with families to identify strengths and support areas.
• Present assessments to fostering panels.

Skills

Experience in completing complex assessments

Strong analytical skills

Effective communication

Passion for child welfare

Confidence in presenting to panels

Education

Registered social worker

Job description

About The Role

Job Title: Senior Practitioner – Fostering Kinship
Hours: 37
Salary: HC9 £40,777 - £45,091 (plus £5,000 market rate supplement per year £45,777 - £50,091)
Welcome payment £10,000 (see attached guidance)
Relocation package up to £10,000 available
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 19/10/2025
Interview date: 29/10/2025
Come and join us on our Restorative Journey of Improvement to gain the best for children and families in Herefordshire

The Role

We are seeking a skilled and compassionate Senior Social Worker to join our Kinship Assessment Team. In this role, you will lead on completing full assessments for Kinship carers and SGO support plans often having those with additional complexity, ensuring that children can remain safely within their family networks wherever possible.

You’ll work closely with children, families, and professionals to deliver high-quality, evidence-based assessments that reflect the child’s needs and promote stability and permanence. You will offer peer support to other members of the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake full connected persons (kinship) assessments, including viability assessments and Special Guardianship reports.
• Engage with families in a sensitive and respectful manner, identifying strengths and areas for support.
• Present assessments to fostering panels and contribute to care planning discussions.
• Collaborate with colleagues across fostering, safeguarding, and legal teams.
• Support the development of best practice in kinship care across the service.
• Provide mentoring and guidance to less experienced staff where appropriate.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a qualified and registered social worker who:

• Has substantial experience in completing complex assessments, ideally within fostering or kinship care.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills in assessing risk, attachment, and family dynamics.
• Communicates effectively and builds trusting relationships with families and professionals.
• Is passionate about keeping children within their family networks wherever safe and appropriate.
• Is confident in presenting to panels and contributing to multi-agency decision-making.

What We Offer

• A supportive and experienced team environment.
• Regular supervision and reflective practice.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Access to specialist training in kinship care and assessment.
• Opportunities for career development and progression.
• The chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families in Herefordshire.

If you would like to know more about the role, please contact Team Manager Sarah Gray at [e-mail].

Curious about what it’s really like to be a Social Worker with us?
Want to know what it really feels like to work with our passionate and dedicated Social Work teams? This short video gives you a glimpse into the heart of our service and shows why Herefordshire Council could be the perfect place for your next career move.
https://youtu.be/FSjU-FV5uic

We Offer

• A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
• Senior Practitioner basic salary: HC9 £40,777 - £45,091 per annum
• Market rate supplement: plus £5,000 per year
• Welcome payment £10,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams (see attached guidance)
• Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
• Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
• Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers. We have a diverse and comprehensive training offer in place to support you in your role.
• Career progression: clear pathways to progression and supported by the Social Care Academy to be a work based supervisor with the potential to become a Practice Educator as a development pathway.
• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
• Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees
• Pick your perks– our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

About Us

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns. Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People. By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it’s an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be! Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole. We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment. Come to Herefordshire and join the journey. Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks. We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered.

Interview considerations

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme;
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, or their families. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant;and
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.
To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.
Please note: the council is currently unable to offer overseas visa sponsorship for Social Worker roles in Children & Young People. Overseas prospective candidates that require sponsorship to work in the UK should not apply for these roles. We appreciate your interest in Herefordshire Council and would encourage you to consider other opportunities with us that may be open to sponsorship. A full list of current vacancies can be found here: https://spiritofherefordshire.com/children-young-people/jobs/

About The Company

The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:
Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-28