Senior Practitioner - Children's complex and enduring mental health

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families?

If so, Birmingham Children’s Trust wants you!

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a developing dynamic frontline service within Birmingham Children’s Trust.

Ascent (The Complex and Enduring Mental Health Team) is focussed on bringing about meaningful change, preventing admission/readmission to secure mental health services and Safeguarding Children and Young people.

The Children and Young People who we work with have experienced reoccurring mental health crisis and/or Acute mental ill health resulting in Secure mental health service admission and detention under the Mental Health Act 1983.

The service has developed an effective model of intervention that is embedding Relational, Systemic Principals and Trauma Informed Practice along with a broader range of tools and perspectives.

We are committed to working in partnership with children, families and partner agencies to safeguard; understand the broader mental health issues and intervene to address Social Issues impacting on young people's mental health, recovery and development.

We are looking for, forward thinking senior social work professionals to join our service to safeguard and protect our children and young people in Birmingham

The work is varied and challenging and encompasses work with children in need to those children in care and everything in between.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection.This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

• You will be an experienced safeguarding led Senior Practitioner and be registered with Social Work England (SWE)
• Ideally you will have a background in child and adolescent complex mental health or have the passion and desire to develop these specialist skills, that can support a culture of
• Experience of excellence and good practice in an inclusive environment.
• You will have a proven track record in safeguarding, and can undertake complex case management and exceptional quality assessments and service delivery in a timely accurate manner, with a relationship based, consistent child centred approach.
• Confident to implement and case manage creative social work strategies to provide consistent high service delivery and the best possible outcomes
• Forward thinking vision and dynamic in your approach and social work practice
• Be prepared to fully safeguard and support the child, young person and their families/carers consistently and sometimes over a long period of time and be dedicated to improving their lives
• Be an effective team player, to be able to mentor and support newly qualified social workers, students and family support workers
• You will be supportive in your approach and promote a strong team environment with a mixed ability social work team and be able to adeptly cover your Team Manager during their absence and leave periods.
• You will be able to form, develop and maintain strong professional internal and external relationships and engage in multi-agency partnership working with education and health, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills on all levels.
• It is an
  essential requirement
  for this role that you have a driving licence and access to a vehicle (mileage and expenses paid) in order to be able to do this role.

• In addition to the salary offered, there is an incentive payment of £1,000
• Retention payment of up to £5,000 per annum, subject to tax and NI deductions - T&Cs will apply.
• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking
  at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing
  internal employee benefits
  scheme including,Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness…