Senior Practitioner – Social Work with Families – Children – Croydon Council
Salary: Grade 15 (£52,116- £54,129)
Permanent – 36 hours per weekWelcome Payment – £10,000Retention Payment – £2,500
Hybrid working
Job Purpose
The Senior Practitioner role reports to the Team Manager providing leadership of practice through exemplary direct work; development of staff and specialist focused on a given area of practice.
They are an expert practitioner who directly delivers or contributes to the delivery of positive safety and well-being outcomes for children. They will support other staff within the team to develop their level of practice and expertise and growing the confidence in their practice. The Senior Practitioner would have a developed ability to deliver on outcomes and functions as a role model for their team through the effective exercise of the following functions:
Engagement and relationship building / maintaining.
Analytical and continuous assessment
High standard of report writing and case recording
Making professional judgments and recommendations based on assessment and review
Development, co-ordination, implementation, and review of evidence-based plans
The provision of direct help by the worker
The matching of child / family with evidence-based services relevant to the identified needs.
The co-ordination of multi-professional / agency input to assessment, planning and help.
The application of theory and theoretical frameworks to all aspects of practice.
Supporting the development of creative and innovate care planning to support children and their families.
Oversee the planning for children where necessary
Delivering to performance standards consistently across the measures within the journey of the child.
Essential Requirements
Qualified Social Worker and up to date registered with Social Work EnglandFoundation level systemic practice qualification – desirablePractice Educator or Practice Teacher qualification – desirableKnowledge of national policy, strategy and developments regarding children’s social care, and areas that impact on children’s social care.Knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, standards and procedures.Knowledge of relevant theoretical frameworks, practice models and research findings.Knowledge of models of reflective supervision that impact on practice and outcomes.Able to maintain records that evidence our engagement with children and families, informs the quality assurance framework e.g., quantitative, qualitative and outcome information for the children and families, the views and experiences of children and families.
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