Senior Practitioner (Referral and Assessment)

• Ability to work within a framework of legislation, guidance, divisional policies and procedures and accountability to senior officers.
• Ability to relate effectively to children, parents and carers, many of whom may be under stress.
• This will include the ability to support and facilitate the work of more junior staff who are having to deal with particularly difficult situations.
• Ability to work as a team member and to form professional partnerships with other staff within the Department, colleagues from other agencies, foster carers and residential workers and health and education professionals. This will include an ability to remain aware of the roles and responsibilities of others and to promote a positive image of the division and department.
• Skill in analysing complex and problematic situations and in formulating, implementing and reviewing, alongside service users, appropriate assessment and intervention programmes.
• Skill in communicating clearly orally and in writing, including an ability to maintain concise case records including Looked After Children documentation and to produce reports for case conferences, courts and other bodies.
• Ability to manage working time effectively in order to meet both professional priorities and administrative requirements.
• Ability to think creatively in meeting children’s and families’ needs, using family and community networks, voluntary sector and other external resources and provision where appropriate.
• Ability to contribute to the overall development of the team e.g.: making presentations and leading discussion in areas of professional practice; identifying opportunities for meeting need more effectively; promoting an appropriate and professional climate.
• Demonstrate appropriate understanding, knowledge and skills in valuing diversity
• Comprehensive knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and other relevant legislation, regulations and guidance such as national assessment framework.
• Knowledge of the range of services which are available to children and families and of the organisational framework within which they are provided.
• Knowledge of child development and of family functioning and dynamics.
• Knowledge of methods of social work intervention.
• Appropriate and relevant post-qualification experience of children and families social work within a statutory, voluntary or independent sector organisation.

In Bromley we are consistently going above and beyond, enabling our children, young people, and their families to grow and flourish, being aspirational and building resilience for the future. We strive to create opportunities to be innovative and reflective within an organisation that nurtures relationships, always seeks feedback, and has self-confidence to listen and act. 

 Our vision is: by working together with children and their families and agency partners, we will ensure that every child in Bromley has the right help at the right time to keep them safe, and to meet their needs, so they achieve, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Our ‘Bromley Relationship Model’ is a model unique to our local authority based on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. We are looking for a social worker who is passionate about working with children and their families who will be able use their ability to form good relationships with families and professionals to bring about positive changes for children and young people. Our vision is at the heart of our model and is supported by our purpose, our aims, our social work behaviours, and our enablers.

Bromley Children’s Social Care has recently been awarded an Ofsted rating of “Outstanding”

You can read Ofsted's report here

 The Bromley Promise

•  Manageable caseloads for every Social Worker

• Dedicated time for reflective supervision

• Generous Annual Leave Entitlement including an additional three days

• Small Cluster teams with one team manager supervising four Social Workers

• Two-week protected induction programme

• Excellent Learning and development opportunities with bespoke training for every social worker

• Social Workers and team managers have easy and regular access to the leadership team

Benefits working for the London Borough of Bromley: 

• Golden Hello & Annual Retention Allowance 

• Merited pay scheme

• 30 days Annual Leave

• The opportunity to participate in the Local Government Pension Scheme

• Excellent training and career development pathway

• Free Car Parking at Bromley Civic Centre 

• The ability to claim mileage for business trips in line with HMRC guidance

• Relocation Allowance (up to £8,000) for successful candidates relocating from overseas or the outer southeast area 

• A range of salary sacrifice schemes, including for lease cars, technology equipment and for gym. 

• Benefit scheme also includes a range of discounts at local retailers

We are forces family friendly and are part of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme (Bronze Award). We welcome applications from ex-Armed Forces personnel, reservists, veterans, cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.   We are committed to achieving equal opportunities in employment and service delivery and as a disability confident committed employer we encourage applications from people with disabilities.  As part of this commitment, we will consider reasonable adjustment to support disability employment.  We offer a generous package including competitive pay, career average pension scheme, flexible working practices and the Bromley employee benefits scheme; Cycle2Work, Salary Sacrifice Lease Car, Technology Scheme, GymFlex and a wide range of local and national discounts

If you'd like to arrange an informal chat about this role, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at acquisitionrecruitment@bromley.gov.uk