3 - 4 Month Contract With A Local Authority

As a Senior Practitioner, you will play a critical role in promoting the safety and wellbeing of children. You will build positive, supportive, and respectful relationships with families to provide timely and effective interventions for children in need of help or protection. Your focus will be on strengthening families' capacity to care for their children safely within their own networks. Where this is not achievable, you will contribute to developing and implementing alternative plans that ensure children grow up in safe, nurturing, and permanent homes.

You will work within a practice environment that values professional judgement, autonomy, reflective practice, and respectful challenge. Our approach is grounded in the Signs of Safety practice model, emphasising strengths-based, collaborative work with families and the wider professional network.

Key Responsibilities:

• Undertake assessments, planning, interventions and reviews to safeguard children and promote their welfare, working collaboratively with children, families, and professionals.
  

• Build effective relationships with children and their families, helping them identify strengths and resources to overcome difficulties.
  

• Support families to raise their children safely within their family network wherever possible.
  

• Where required, contribute to permanency planning and court work to secure the long-term safety and wellbeing of children.
  

• Ensure all work complies with statutory responsibilities, legislative frameworks, and best practice standards.
  

• Lead or contribute to multi-agency meetings and case discussions, including MASH strategy discussions, Initial Child Protection Conferences, Core Groups, and Child in Need planning.
  

• Mentor and support less experienced practitioners, promoting a learning culture within the team.
  

• Work reflectively and use supervision effectively to inform decision-making and professional development.
  

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records, reports, and assessments using electronic case management systems.
  

• Use Signs of Safety as the practice model for assessments, planning, and direct work with families.
  

Requirements:

• Qualified Social Worker (DipSW, BA, MA, or equivalent)
  

• Social Work England Registration
  

• Enhanced DBS Check
  

• Substantial post-qualification experience in statutory children's social work (MASH, Referral & Assessment, Child Protection, or Family Support Pathways)
  

• Strong understanding of child development, safeguarding, and child protection legislation and procedures
  

• Experience of complex casework, including managing risk and court proceedings
  

• Knowledge and/or experience using the Signs of Safety model (or willingness to adopt this framework)