Advanced Practitioner Kinship

Directorate:
Children's Services | Service:
Children In Care

Working Arrangements: Agile, min 3 days in the office

This is a full-time role. We are committed to supporting work–life balance, and requests for flexible working, including job share, will be considered in line with the needs of the service. Given the requirement for continuity of support to service users, any flexible working arrangements would need to ensure consistency in case management.

Contract type: Permanent

We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.

The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.

This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check

If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email

When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.

• Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.

The benefits of working at Barnsley Council include flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development.

• Great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme.
• Flexible working to support your work/life balance.
• Opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.
• Working with residents, partners, businesses and organisations to bring about change in Barnsley.

The Advanced Practitioner will play a pivotal role in the leadership, development and oversight of the Post Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Support Service. The postholder will contribute to the strategic growth of the service, with plans to extend provision to families subject to Child Arrangements Orders (CAO) as the service develops.

The role will ensure that children and families support that promotes permanence, stability and consistently positive outcomes. As part of the continued expansion of the Kinship Service, the Advanced Practitioner will provide professional leadership and oversight within the team, supporting the delivery of high quality assessments and interventions for children who are cared for within their wider family networks. This is a significant opportunity to contribute to service design, innovation and continuous improvement, at a time of growth and development.

The service works with a diverse range of kinship arrangements, including Special Guardianship Orders, Child Arrangements Orders and private fostering arrangements. The Advanced Practitioner will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting kinship families, recognising both the complexities and strengths within these arrangements, and promoting a consistent, strengths based approach across the service.

The AP will maintain a reduced caseload of kinship assessments, ensuring continued direct practice alongside their leadership responsibilities. In addition, they will have responsibility for the Post SGO Support Team, including providing reflective supervision, quality assurance and practice guidance to staff. This will include driving high standards of practice and supporting professional development.

A key aspect of the role will be to identify and develop creative and responsive approaches to service delivery, ensuring that the current offer evolves to meet the needs of all kinship families. The…