Advanced Practitioner - Family Assessment Centre in Leeds

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Advanced Practitioner role within our new Family Assessment Centre. You will work closely with the Registered Manager and multi-disciplinary colleagues across the city to develop the new home and service. You will lead on high-quality parenting and family assessments and support the development of an evidence-based assessment model. You will deliver direct interventions with parents and children to support sustainable change. The role will fit with the Families First agenda and will involve close working with our Early Help services and third sector organisations in localities across the city.

As an Advanced Practitioner, you will provide professional leadership within the Family Assessment Centre, supporting colleagues to deliver outstanding practice while maintaining a direct role with children and families. You will lead on complex assessments, contribute to service development, and promote a trauma-informed, relationship-based approach that enables families to make sustainable changes. This is a unique opportunity to help shape a new service, influence practice standards, and make a lasting difference to the lives of children and their families.

We provide comprehensive support and training packages for social workers at all levels with clear career progression opportunities. Our established in-house management team offers continuous support, guidance and reflective supervision alongside an in-depth programme of continuing professional development. We are proud to be part of Leeds children’s services, rated by Ofsted as outstanding, and to be an award-winning employer, recognised as best employer in the Social Worker of the Year Awards 2019.

We are committed to the ambition of Child Friendly Leeds. We want Leeds to be a city where all children are safe, happy and healthy, do well at school, fulfil their potential and grow up to be active citizens with voice and influence. We aim to improve outcomes for all our children and want to close the gap facing children and young people from vulnerable and deprived backgrounds.

About You: As an Advanced Practitioner you will hold an appropriate professional qualification (degree, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent) and must be registered with Social Work England on commencement in post. In addition to your professional qualification and registration you will have completed Practice Educator Level 2 on commencement of post. You will also bring to the role:

• Extensive experience in a child protection setting.
• Ability to mentor, coach and advise newly qualified and less experienced social work staff.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to build productive working relationships in a multi-agency environment.
• Ability to engage individuals, families and carers and use their views to inform complex assessments, plans and interventions.
• A therapeutic and trauma informed approach to working with the families.
• Extensive and up-to-date knowledge of relevant trends, policies, regulation and safeguarding.

About the role: As an Advanced Practitioner in Children and Families, you will be integral to a close-knit, supportive team which has your professional and personal wellbeing at heart. You will provide a high quality comprehensive social work service, managing a complex caseload with a child-focused approach, underpinned by our culture of restorative practice and family decision making. We work closely with local health and third sector partners, and you will develop and maintain these strong links in your role. You will support the Registered Manager on day-to-day operational issues and mentor less senior colleagues. You will deputise for the Registered Manager when required.

You will model skills in relationship building, developing positive working partnerships internally and with our local health and third sector partners. Demonstrating your social work values throughout your work, you will look to ensuring best practice and innovation.

What we offer you: We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
• Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
• A clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
• A range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.

How to apply: Please complete the online application form. Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. If you have any queries or would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Ben Attfield on ben.attfied@leeds.gov.uk. The closing date for application is the 23rd October. With a view to holding an assessment centre the week beginning the 9th November.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job purpose: The Advanced Practitioner role is to deal with the most complex cases requiring a social worker of considerable experience with a wide knowledge base and excellent skills. The role will predominantly manage a complex caseload, support the Registered Manager on day-to-day operational issues and work on complex cases with less experienced workers to ensure quality and consistency and to disseminate learning.

Responsibilities:

• Manage a caseload of the most complex cases.
• Case allocation will be determined based on their complexity, level of risk, profile and potential publicity surrounding a case.
• Undertake complex case assessments.
• This post demands increased level of autonomy and decision making, based on experience and knowledge, around the case allocated and report to the Registered Manager on case progress, risks, and outcomes.
• Ensure that your practice adopts an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory approach.
• To co-work and coach less experienced social workers on cases so they can benefit from the greater experience and expertise of an Advanced Practitioner.
• Mentor, coach and advise newly qualified and less experienced social work staff and unqualified staff.
• Carry out the role of Practice Educator (level 2) to directly supervise students, mentor new practice Educator and mentor NQSW and less experienced staff with your team.
• Deliver informal and formal learning within teams and across the service.
• Provide consultation, coworking support and development in the areas of social care staff requiring skills development.
• Chairing planning and review meetings.
• Lead and contribute to strategic developments and support the embedding of excellent practice across the city.
• To effectively use and manage appropriate financial resources within available budgets.
• Flexible working arrangements, including evening and/or weekends, may be necessary on occasion to complete ongoing casework, emergency situations, evening visits, meetings and shift cover.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Lead on and participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills to meet national standards.
• To improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post. Work to and within the Post qualifying standards of social work.

Qualifications: The post requires an appropriate professional qualification (DipSW, Degree, CQSW or equivalent). You should be registered with Social Work England upon commencement of the post and maintain registration. To have and maintain Practice Educator level 2 on commencement of post.

Essential requirements: Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements:

• Extensive post qualifying experience in Children and Families Work in a Local Authority setting with demonstrable experience in a child protection setting as a senior social worker level.
• Extensive experience of the court arena.
• Of developing inter agency and multi-disciplinary approaches to work with children and families.
• Of providing structured supervision for social work staff/students.
• Of supervising, mentoring and coaching staff through assessment and care planning processes and court proceedings.
• Of preparing and presenting high quality reports on complex issues to a range of different audiences.
• Extensive experience of using a range of social work interventions to undertake assessments of complex family situations.
• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
• Able to critically apply social work theory in practice.
• Able to identify indicators of risk and carry out effective risk assessment.
• Able to communicate, negotiate and influence a wide range of practitioners, managers, and partners from other agencies.
• Able to present and disseminate information to support learning and development of social care staff and partners.
• Able to chair meetings.
• Competent in the use of IT systems including Microsoft Office, Internet, and Email.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics: Ability to inspire and motivate self and colleagues. To be committed to deliver high quality social care services. To deliver services to children and young people with a clear child centred approach and philosophy. Taking ownership for informed decisions and delivering quality outcomes. Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct. Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon. Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures. Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing. Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge and skills. Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade. Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality & diversity of Leeds City Council. Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person. The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol, and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements: Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements; however, these may be used to distinguish between candidates:

• Possession of a full current driving licence.
• Experience in therapeutic parenting.