At Croydon Council, we have created Senior Practitioner roles for experienced social workers to remain in practice developing and sharing expertise – could this opportunity be the next move for you?
The Young People’s Service supports and inspires children looked after and care experienced young people to become their best. The 11 teams provide social work and personal support for children and young people aged 16 -25, and support a significant number of asylum-seeking young people.
As Senior Practitioner, you will work with young people with complex needs and support the Team Managers providing leadership of practice. With specific lead areas of transitional safeguarding and work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young adults.
You will support staff across the teams to develop their practice and develop expertise.
We work from a systemic framework and trauma informed perspective.
You will have expertise in:
Engaging young people and relationship building
Assessment and Care/Pathway Planning
Report writing and case recording
Analysing complex information to make child-centred decisions
Chairing multi-professional meetings and co-ordinating support
Delivering to performance standards consistently across the measures within the journey of the child
Leading practice in relation to transitional safeguarding and /or unaccompanied asylum seeking children
Maintaining robust records that evidence engagement with children, young adults and their families
A Social Work qualification
An up-to-date Social Work England registration
Foundation level systemic practice qualification - desirable
Practice Educator or Practice Teacher qualification – desirable
Knowledge of national policy, strategy and developments regarding children’s social care, and areas that impact on children’s social care.
Significant experience working with older children in care, care leavers and those who arrived unaccompanied in the UK.
Knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, standards and procedures.
Knowledge of relevant theoretical frameworks, practice models and research findings.
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.
For an informal chat about working in Croydon, contact Agata Stolowska at agata.stolowska@croydon.gov.uk