Senior Practitioner - Kinship Assessment Team (Fixed Term- 12 Months)

Birmingham Children’s Trust Limited; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive payment of £1,000

Retention payment up to £5,000

30 days annual leave + 3? more

Job summary

Birmingham Children’s Trust Limited is recruiting a Senior Practitioner for the Kinship Assessment Teams to lead quality assurance and support plans across the service. You will provide professional guidance, reflective supervision and practice leadership to a skilled team of social workers, ensuring kinship assessments are robust, child-centred, evidence-based and completed within timescales.

This hybrid role is based in Birmingham.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with SWE registration.
• Minimum of 3 years post-qualification experience.
• Experience in kinship assessments and QA.
• Ability to supervise, support and mentor others.

Responsibilities

• Lead on kinship assessment QA across the service.
• Provide professional guidance and reflective supervision.
• Drive practice leadership and continuous improvement.
• Embed best practice and high-quality social work.”],
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Skills

Quality Assurance

Leadership

SWE registration

Mentoring

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Time management

Education

Social Worker qualification

Job description

About The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Fostering Service for a SeniorPractitioner to join one of our three dedicated Kinship Assessment Teams.

We are lookingfor a Senior Practitioner to support with the Quality Assurance of Form KKinship assessments and support plans, as well as other Quality Assurance tasksacross the service, ensuring that assessments are robust, child-centred,evidence-based and completed within required timescales. Through yourleadership and oversight, you will help ensure that assessments and plans areeffective in promoting children's welfare, securing permanence and keeping childrensafe.

We are a passionate and committed social work service, led by experienced leaders whoare dedicated to supporting, advising and guiding prospective kinship carersthroughout the assessment process. Our work is central to the Trust'scommitment to ensuring children can remain within their family networkswherever it is safe and appropriate to do so, helping them achieve the bestpossible outcomes throughout their childhood.

The servicedelivers a high-quality, robust and fast-paced assessment service, including Regulation24 viability assessments, Form K Kinship Fostering Assessments and SpecialGuardianship Order (SGO) Assessments. We pride ourselves on providingthorough, evidence-based assessments that support timely decision-making andpositive outcomes for children and families.

As a SeniorPractitioner, you will bring significant experience of kinship assessment workand court proceedings. You will play a key role in supporting and developing askilled team of Senior Social Workers, helping to drive service excellence andcontinuous improvement. You will provide professional guidance, reflectivesupervision and practice leadership, fostering a culture of learning,development and high-quality social work practice.

Working withina supportive and experienced team, you will lead on embedding and enhancingbest practice across the service.

This is anexcellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner who is passionate aboutkinship care and making a lasting difference to the lives of children andfamilies.

We have beenrated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2026 inspection.This is afantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positivehighlights focusing on areas including the agency's thorough and detailedassessments that consider the complexity of kinship family dynamics and thecommitment to supporting foster carers. Also, Ofsted recognised the passion,commitment, and expertise of our workforce. The report also reflects positivelyon the leadership of Foster Birmingham, noting that leaders and managers have aclear vision for the agency's future development.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutabledistance around Birmingham and have the correct right-to-work documents to workin the UK.Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

About you

The idealcandidate will:

• Be a qualified Social Worker and registered withSocial Work England (SWE)
• Have a minimum of 3 years’ post-qualifiedexperience (PQE)
• Demonstrate the ability to supervise, support, andmentor others in developing their practice
• Have experience of Quality Assurance
• Provide guidance and leadership in social workpractice
• Show flexibility, enthusiasm, and a strongcommitment to collaborative working
• Have proven experience working effectively withmultidisciplinary teams, including statutory and voluntary agencies
• Possess a solid understanding of relevantlegislation, enabling confident analysis and effective intervention
• Exhibit excellent organisational and timemanagement skills
• Communicate clearly and effectively, includingexperience using communication aids
• Take a compassionate, patient, and person-centredapproach to delivering high-quality care
• Work collaboratively with colleagues,professionals, and a wide range of stakeholders

Onboarding Process:

Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian Including DBS, Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements.

Additional Information

Interviews will be held in person on 24 November 2026.

If you would like an information discussion about the role, please email Natasha Al-Mossili: [e-mail]

Our offer toyou

• In addition to the salary offered, there is anincentive payment of £1,000
• You will receive a retention payment of up to£5,000 (terms and conditions apply).
• A generousannual leave packageof30daysannual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Salary Sacrifice Car Schemewhich givesyou the chance to drive a brand-new car for an affordable fixed monthlyamount as part of a salary sacrifice initiative. With no deposits orcredit checks required a range of all-inclusive driving packages.
• Free on-site parkingat our offices onOne Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provideonsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• You will receive a generous local government careeraveragepension schemein line with the Local GovernmentPension Scheme.
• Full reimbursement of your annual Social WorkEngland registration fee.
• Flexibleandhybridworkingpolicy- we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working whichincludes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and weoffer a variety of working patterns.
• Continuous Service Recognition -ThankYouemployee badge when first joining the Trust. Plus,Yearsof Servicebadge awarded for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35+ years ofservice.
• Full access to ouramazing internalemployee benefitsscheme including, Occupational Health services,Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card),Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
  

About Us

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

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.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work- be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment- enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development- benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits- take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.