Practice Development Manager (ROTH) - Yate

Joining a Good rated childrens social care service, you will have the opportunity to contribute to practice that is child-centred, relationship-based and focused on continuous improvement. As Practice Development Manager for Risk Outside the Home (ROTH), you will provide professional expertise and strategic leadership to strengthen high-quality practice across Family Help and Social Care.

Leading the strategic response to risks outside the home, you will maintain oversight of ROTH themes across the service and help practitioners, managers and partners respond confidently to complex safeguarding concerns affecting children and young people.

This role provides strategic practice development leadership across Family Help and Social Care, with a particular focus on strengthening how we respond to risk outside the home. Working alongside practitioners, managers and partners, you will help build confident, consistent and child-centred practice in complex safeguarding situations.

By using research, audit, quality assurance and direct practice insight you will understand where practice is working well and where improvement is needed. Through coaching, mentoring, group learning and constructive challenge, the role supports staff to reflect on their work, strengthen professional judgement and embed systemic, relationship-based practice.

• You will work across Family Help and Social Care service areas and multiple teams, influencing practice and improvement activity without directly managing those teams.
• You will lead and guide practice development in relation to risk outside the home, supporting consistent, confident and child-centred safeguarding practice across Family Help and Social Care.
• Use audit, quality assurance, research and casework evaluation to identify strengths, risks and improvement needs, working with Service Managers to support practice development.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, group training and reflective challenge to help practitioners and managers strengthen professional judgement and systemic practice.
• Contribute to panels, specialist meetings, partnership work streams and targeted change activity where practice improvement, inspection preparation or service development is required.

• Qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration and substantial post-qualifying statutory child protection experience.
• Expert knowledge of child protection law, statutory guidance and local procedures, with confidence applying significant harm and Section 47 thresholds consistently.
• Proven ability to lead and chair complex multi-agency safeguarding meetings, including Strategy Discussions and Child Protection Conferences.
• Skilled in overseeing the child protection process, analysing complex risk and evidence, balancing professional views and making clear, defensible decisions.
• Strong collaborative multi-agency working skills, supporting effective information sharing, coordinated partner contributions and a shared understanding of risk.
• Committed to child and family participation while managing complex workloads, urgent safeguarding decisions, statutory timescales and accurate records.
• Clarity, confidence and professional curiosity to a high-volume and complex safeguarding environment, supporting consistent thresholds, reducing drift and helping partners work together effectively in the best interests of children and families.

• Although this post is advertised as a full-time position, we encourage and welcome applications from experienced practitioners and managers who may be seeking flexible working arrangements.
• Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained.
• You may be required to work from any council office location and at times be required to work outside normal office hours.

Interviews are currently scheduled to take place on 27th August 2026.

• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employeewellbeing support and you will have access to a range ofstaff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that ourdiverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
• We invest in the careers of our people, and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of ourtraining and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work.
• We arecommitted to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or…