Senior Practitioner

Posted 22nd Apr, 2024
Location
Redbridge
Salary/rate
£43,815 – £49,890
Hours
Full-time
Working arrangements
Office based
Contract type
Permanent
Closing date
31st May, 2024
About the role

**£3000 allowance**

Redbridge Social Care are looking to recruit senior practitioners to a number of different service areas. This includes:

  • The new Domestic Abuse Service
  • Community Social Work Team
  • Child Protection and Assessment Team
  • Parenting Assessment Team
  • Reunification Team
  • MASH
  • EDT

We are looking for a dynamic, motivated Senior Practitioners. The roles would suit a highly motivated, dynamic, and tenacious individual who is competent with their statutory duties under the Children Act 1989 and has a sound understanding of other legislation and guidance relating to Safeguarding Children. The role will entail excellent assessment/analysis skills, a clear understanding of thresholds and a flair for thinking SMART and creatively in relation to care planning for those children who are subject to Child in Need and Child Protection Plans. The role will also include holding some of the most complex cases that require the local authority to initiate the PLO and Court Proceedings and therefore practice experience around cases in court is essential.  This post is the first step towards experiencing social work management and managerial decision making. The post holder will have the opportunity to take the lead in an area of social work practice, taking responsibility for mentoring and supporting Newly Qualified Social Workers as well as playing an integral park in enhancing Social Work Practice across the service.

About you

The ideal candidate should have the following attributes: 

  • Experience of working with children, young people, and their families.
  • Excellent writing skills and who is confident in representing the service at professional forums.
  • Committed to achieving positive outcomes for Children who are subject to Child in Need, Child Protection plans as well as those that are subject to Court Orders.
  • Experience of completing assessments and developing SMART care plans for children, young people, and their families; and
  • A proven track record of establishing positive and meaningful relationships with children, young people, and their families as well as colleagues
  • A proven record for meeting statutory timescales
  • Able to deputise for the Practice Manager where needed including quality assuring work completed by Social Workers.

The successful candidate will have a dedicated PMR to support them to achieve their career aspirations and this will include a solid training offer, bespoke to you to support your CPD.

About Redbridge

Redbridge is among the fastest growing parts of the country and the third most diverse London borough. Our communities are attracted by a mixture of excellent schools, relatively affordable housing compared to other parts of London, high quality open spaces and rapid transport connections into the heart of the City.

We are so proud of our Children and Families’ service. Rated as Outstanding by OFSTED, we offer a whole family approach to the care of children in Redbridge.

We are one of only a few authorities who have achieved this top score under the new inspection framework. Highlights from the report included praises for:

  • Exceptional leadership

  • Promotion of best practice and innovation

  • Highly effective practice

  • Happy and supported staff

  • Meeting emerging problems such as gangs, county lines and exploitation

  • Thoughtful social workers

We can provide such strong services because of our highly qualified and motivated staff who put children and young people at the heart of everything we do. We offer a range of roles in our services for social workers, family support workers and others at all levels, supported by experienced managers and a variety of learning and development opportunities.

We also continually develop our services to respond to emerging best practice so that we can continue to offer outstanding services to the children and young people in our borough.

Training, development, and support is provided for all our staff from specific programmes for newly qualified social workers through to continuous professional development for more experienced staff.

Children Services are implementing Trauma Informed Practice to equip practitioners to better support the mental health and wellbeing of our children, young people and families.

We want to offer support to frontline staff as we understand working with children, young people and families in the context of abuse, neglect and other adversities place high emotional demands on practitioners.

We offer a range of classroom based and online learning as well as opportunities for reflective practice and learning. We also have opportunities for apprenticeships and a dedicated progression programme for social workers and occupational therapists. The Career Progression Framework is closely linked to the Social Work Professional Capabilities Framework and introduces clear levels of performance and achievement in social work that are directly linked to levels of pay.  This can be used to help identify strengths and areas for development.

In addition we also offer great benefits at Redbridge:

  • Local government pension scheme

  • 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)

  • Cycle to work scheme

  • Discounted Car Parking

  • Employee discount scheme

  • Flexible working options including job sharing, compressed hours and term-time working

  • Employee volunteering scheme

  • Employee assistance programme

  • Excellent learning & development opportunities

  • Performance management and career progression support

  • Confidential Employee Support helpline

  • Electric car and bike pool scheme

If you would like an informal discussion about working in children’s social care at Redbridge please contact Judy Daniels, our Principal Child and Family Social Worker at Judy.Daniels@redbridge.gov.uk