NRPF/Homelessness Advanced Practitioner

About Barnet Council

Barnet is a borough with much to be proud of. Our excellent schools, vibrant town centres, vast green spaces and diverse communities all help make it a great place to live and work. As a council we want to build on these strengths as we move into the future. We are growing and developing as an organisation to meet the challenges facing our borough and we are committed to working with partner organisations and residents to make Barnet even better. Our staff are committed to Our Values: Learning to Improve, Caring, Inclusive, Collaborative – which drive everything we do.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Advanced Practitioner to join our FAS team at the front door, providing specialist advice, information and support to residents with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and supporting homeless young people. The role will include working collaboratively with Housing Services and partner agencies, you will play a key role in assessing needs, delivering effective interventions, and supporting homeless young people to achieve positive outcomes. This rewarding role offers the opportunity to make a real difference by safeguarding vulnerable individuals, promoting independence, and ensuring access to appropriate support and services.

In Barnet we value our Social Care staff and we know that our biggest and most important resource is the workforce. We want to work with Advanced Practitioners who are reflective, dynamic, proactive and resilient that are aspirational for our children and young people with the ability to drive long lasting change. The aim of the Family Service is to ensure that all children and young people in Barnet achieve the best possible outcomes and to enable them to become successful adults, especially our most vulnerable children. They should be supported by high quality, integrated and inclusive services that identify additional support needs early, are accessible, responsive and affordable for the individual child and their family.

About you

• In depth knowledge and understanding of the legislative framework and policies in relation to safeguarding children.
• 16-17 years homeless policy, joint housing assessments.
• Experience of dealing with NRPF cases and providing specialist guidance and support to Housing Options Service and Social Care colleagues.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, particularly in writing assessments and plans for young people.
• Proven experience in demonstrating your impact on families in achieving positive outcomes for children and influence the professional networks that you work with.
• Innovative and positive engagement with children and families in their assessments and plans and a passion for delivery of high quality services and interventions to vulnerable children in partnership with a wide range of agencies.

The post holder will have the skills and ability to practice at a higher level which includes deputising for the line manager in circumstances where the line manager is not available. They will demonstrate expert and effective practice in complex situations and be able to assess and manage higher levels of risk on their own and that of other less experienced social workers.

What we offer

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays.
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents.
• A comprehensive Flexible Working Policy which supports work-life balance by empowering staff and management to make decisions around when, where, and how work is done.
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more.
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership.
• Excellent training and development opportunities.
• Employee well-being training programs including confidential employee assistance.

Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures, this may include AI Detection Screening, Biometric ID/Right to Work Checks, Qualification and Registration Checks, Up to 6 years of Employment Data and Insights to Accelerate Screening (Konfir), Up to 5 years of Employment History References, DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Checks, Credit Checks and Social Media, Sanctions and Occupational Health Screening.

To deliver Barnet Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity in the provision of services, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. As such we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part-time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work-life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process.

All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

Please ensure you regularly check the email account (including JUNK MAIL folders) that you use to submit your application, as any further communication regarding your application will be sent electronically. Should you not hear from us within four working weeks of the closing date for this post, then regretfully in this instance, you have not been shortlisted.