Advanced Social Worker – Family Lead Practitioner; Kingswood​/South Hub

Join a children’s social care service rated Good by Ofsted, where strong practice, supportive leadership and positive outcomes for children are recognised. As an Advanced Social Worker – Family Help Lead Practitioner, you will play an important role in delivering skilled, relationship-based social work practice, supporting children, young people and families across Child in Need, Child Protection and the early stages of Children in Care planning.

Managing complex and sensitive work, you will use sound professional judgement to assess risk, strengthen safety and support families to make sustainable change. Alongside your direct work, you will contribute to the development of practice across the team, providing mentoring, consultation and professional support to colleagues, students and newly qualified social workers.

Working within a multi-disciplinary Family Help and Best Start Community Team, you will act as Family Help Lead Practitioner for children and families requiring statutory social work support. Children’s voices, family networks and relationship-based practice will remain central as you complete assessments, coordinate plans and work with partners to achieve positive outcomes.

• Managing complex Family Help work across Child in Need, Child Protection and early Children in Care, you will complete high-quality assessment, planning, intervention and review.
• Assessing and balancing risk, children’s needs and family rights, you will take the appropriate safeguarding action where there is risk of significant harm or family breakdown.
• It will be your responsibility to facilitate family group decision-making, strengthen family networks and coordinate effective multi-agency plans and meetings.
• You will provide mentoring, consultation and practice support to colleagues, students and newly qualified social workers under the guidance of senior practitioners.
• Holding responsibility for a specific area of practice or expertise, you will maintain accurate records and contribute to team learning and service development.

• It is essential that you hold a recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
• You will have significant post-qualification experience within a local authority children’s services setting, including evidence-based work with vulnerable children and families.
• We are looking for someone who has detailed knowledge of children’s legislation and practice, with strong assessment, analytical, care-planning and risk-management skills.
• You must be able to mentor and support others, sharing professional knowledge and helping colleagues develop confident, consistent practice.
• As an effective communicator and relationship builder, you will be confident handling difficult and sensitive issues with children, families, colleagues and partner agencies.

• We are unable to accommodate applications from newly qualified social workers or candidates who require an Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). Applicants must already have successfully completed their ASYE.
• This position is based in our South Family Help Hub, Kingswood.
• Although this post is advertised as full time, we welcome applications from experienced social workers seeking part‑time, job‑share or flexible working arrangements.
• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area, so you must have a full, valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle insured for business use or have an alternative suitable means of travel.
• An enhanced DBS check is required, and you will need to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area, with occasional work outside normal office…