Advanced Practitioner - Safeguarding; Richmond

We're proud to announce that AfC's Children's Services in Richmond have been awarded an Outstanding rating by Ofsted. This places Richmond alongside Kingston, which also holds an Outstanding rating, as a top-performing service. Our separately inspected Fostering Service has achieved a strong ‘Good’ rating, recognising our skilled and dedicated fostering workforce.

Come work with a skilled, stable workforce and be part of an organization that's truly making a difference.

We have an opportunity to be a Advanced Practitioner in the Safeguarding Team in Richmond, in this role you will be responsible for assisting social workers to develop their experience and skills in managing court work.

The Safeguarding service is focused on progressing long-term plans for children and their families. This includes Child in Need, Child Protection, pre-proceedings and court work retaining responsibility until Final Orders are made. The Advanced Practitioner will:

• Have extensive experience and skills that wish to remain in frontline practice and who may not wish to progress along a management route
• Have a more complex caseload of Child Protection, pre-proceedings and court cases
• Be responsible for assisting social workers to develop experience and skills in managing court work including co-working cases to assist in developing this experience. They will be required to deputise for the Team Leaders where needed
• Support social workers so that their practice is effective, meets regulatory requirements, complies with statutory guidance, and learns from evidence-based interventions and innovative practice

For further information or an informal discussion about this role,please contact hiring manager Judith Cox on: judith.cox

To be an Advanced Practitioner in the Safeguarding Team, you will need to possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Educated to a degree level with a relevant professional qualification in social work(CSS/CQSW or Dip Sw, MA SW, BA Hons SW)
• Active Social Work England registration and proven evidence of professional development
• Significant experience working in Child Protection,court work and permanency planning
• Experience of keeping and maintaining records (in accordance with local policy) and producing accurate reports, presentations, written updates to a range of stakeholders (whichmay include families, children or young people)
• An ability to manage an agreed caseload of complex cases including court work
• Experience of writing evidence for Court as well as giving oral evidence in court cases
• Knowledge of statutory legislation (for example The Children Act) and national policy drivers that will affect children’s services and your role
• A passion to demonstrate and promote our values (Trust, Respect and Empower) through professional behaviours and relationships with all stakeholders and staff to support children and young people to live safe, happy, healthy and successful lives

This role is developed for those with extensive experience and skills that wish to remain in frontline practice and who may not wish to progress along a management route.