Senior Practitioner - Children's Fostering Service

We are looking for a highly experienced and qualified Social Worker who is registered with Social Work England. You will have extensive knowledge of national policy, strategy and developments in children's social care, along with relevant legislation and statutory guidance. The ideal candidate will:

• Be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England
• Have knowledge of national policy, strategy and developments regarding children's social care
• Possess knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, standards and procedures
• Demonstrate ability to manage, develop and motivate others
• Have experience of managing complex cases
• Understand relevant theoretical frameworks, practice models and research findings
• Have knowledge of models of reflective supervision that impact on practice and outcomes
• Have experience of working in fostering or similar services
• Be able to provide support to the Team Manager, including acting up responsibility in their absence

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role. The successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

Home to 94,000 children, Croydon is a truly unique place to practice social work. We are a borough with big ambition, grit, and determination. Children's social care was judged ‘good’ in our last Ofsted inspection.

Our systemic practice framework places emphasis on relationships as key to supporting change for families. We make sense of the world through relationships, focusing on the whole family system and thinking about our own part in that too – what we bring, our own family stories and beliefs, how we use ourselves in the work that we do. Our practice model is all about collaboration - with our families, networks and partners; being open to challenge and ensuring our practitioners are highly trained in a variety of intervention approaches.  Our established clinical service will support you to grow your own systemic practice within the service, providing accredited training, co-working and direct work with families.   

Benefits of working with Croydon

• You will be valued for your skills and expertise, supported by the team of experienced professionals, as well as the management at Croydon Council, one of the largest employers in the borough. We also offer:
• Highly competitive compensation package
• Accredited Systemic Practice training
• A range of CPD opportunities
• 29-31 days (grade equivalent) annual leave in addition to Bank Holidays and option to purchase more
• A pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 20%
• Continuing Professional Development – genuine opportunities to grow, develop and specialise in your career
• Management development programmes
• Investment into your wellbeing
• Access to Employee Discount scheme with a range of programmes (Cycle Benefit Scheme, GymFlex, Retail Discounts and more)
• We promote flexible & hybrid working arrangements where possible to support a healthy work-life balance

What makes Croydon special is our people – both within the council and throughout the borough.

• Choosing to practice social work in Croydon will give you opportunity to develop, grow, thrive, and strive; it is not just a job but a career. Here are some of the reasons our colleagues like working at Croydon:
• Our team consists of experienced, dedicated practitioners
• We meet regularly to make sure everyone we work with has the support and knowledge needed to make a difference and be the difference to our families, communities and colleagues
• At Croydon relationships matter and we are about strong partnerships and working together to make lasting positive change
• We are an established team who can help you settle in and offer their expertise
• You will have the support of an extremely knowledgeable understanding manager
• You will have access to a busy, buzzy, committed workforce and work environment Opportunities to work from home and work flexibly provides you with more work-life balance
• Opportunities to think together with your manager about career development
• Support to help you grow, develop, learn and lead

For an informal chat about working in Croydon, contact Agata Stolowska at agata.stolowska@croydon.gov.uk