Senior Practitioner – Children in Care, Mid

Senior Practitioner – Children in Care, Mid Essex

Fixed Term,Full Time

£48,205 to £57,988 per annum

Location:

Chelmsford

Working Style:
Community-based worker

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 18 months.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It’s an exciting time to join us having received our 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

Essex County Council understand how important flexibility and wellbeing is for our colleagues working across children's Social Care and that we need to think differently. We have therefore developed a nine-day working fortnight for full time frontline Social Workers within Children’s services. If you would like more information on this, please follow this link

We are a friendly, supportive, and hard-working team where we always hold children at the centre of what we do. We have created an open, reflective and learning culture where social workers feel enabled and supported to raise issues, consider different perspectives, challenge authority, and try out different approaches in a safe and non-blaming environment. Good quality reflective supervision is provided to all social workers and senior practitioners.

We are looking for a Senior Practitioner to join our Children in Care team. In this key role, you will provide strong leadership within the team, offering support and mentoring to newly qualified and less experienced colleagues. You will facilitate reflective group supervision, oversee the team’s duty service, and deputise for the Team Manager when required. You will also take responsibility for leading in a designated area of practice.

This is a fantastic opportunity to further your own professional development while helping shape and develop our team and wider service.

We are seeking someone with extensive experience in:

• Report writing
• Court attendance
• Giving evidence

These skills are essential, as you will play a vital role in mentoring and supporting NQSWs within the team.

Our Children in Care (CIC) teams work with children and young people up to the age of 18 who cannot live at home and are placed with foster carers or in residential homes. We focus on ensuring their experiences in care are positive, that they feel supported, and that they are well prepared for their future—whether that’s transitioning into adulthood or returning home to family.

CIC teams receive cases in proceedings after the first hearing, visit children and young people in their placements, and develop permanency plans such as Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) and adoption. We also undertake life-story work to help children understand their journey and support them where possible to return to their birth family.

Joining Children in Care offers you the chance to build meaningful, lasting relationships with children and young people. You will gain a broad range of skills and experiences, including court work, long‑term care planning, adoption, and reunification.

• A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or master’s in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with Social Work England as a registered social worker.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
• Significant experience of social work, demonstrating a comprehensive and up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulation and guidance.
• Experience of mentoring both Social Work students and newly qualified and experienced Social Work staff, being a subject matter expert in professional social work practice.
• Experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members and/or carers and other multi-agency professionals.
• Developing strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives and offer a supportive framework for children, young people and families.
• In depth understanding of delivery of value for money interventions balanced against need.
• Pro…