At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and support a team of Family Support Practitioners in Hounslow.
- Company: Join a dynamic Children's Services team making a real difference.
- Benefits: Earn £41ph, enjoy flexible working, and access professional development.
- Other info: Work in a fast-paced environment with strong career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Take your social work career to the next level while helping families in need.
- Qualifications: Must be a registered Social Worker with 3+ years' experience.
The predicted salary is between 41 - 41 £ per hour.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Advanced Practitioner to join our Early Help / Front Door Team. This role is ideal for an experienced Senior Social Worker who is ready to take the next step in their career by combining high-quality practice with leadership and supervision responsibilities. You'll play a key role in supporting frontline practitioners, making effective threshold decisions, and ensuring children and families receive the right support at the right time.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide supervision and professional support to 2–3 Family Support Practitioners (FSPs).
- Support the management of the daily duty function while maintaining your own workload.
- Make informed threshold decisions for children and families accessing Early Help and statutory services.
- Assess eligibility for Section 17 support, including cases involving homelessness and financial assistance.
- Undertake and oversee Human Rights Assessments, ensuring lawful and proportionate decision-making where families have exhausted all appeal rights.
- Contribute to decision-making within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), ensuring appropriate progression of contacts.
- Build strong working relationships with Children's Services, Housing, and partner agencies.
- Attend daily multi-agency meetings relating to residents in Hounslow House and provide case consultations to colleagues across the council.
- Model best practice and provide guidance to practitioners, students, and volunteers.
Requirements
- Current Social Work England registration and a recognised Social Work qualification.
- A minimum of 3 years' post-qualifying experience as a Senior Social Worker within Children's Services.
- Strong knowledge of threshold decision-making, including Section 17 assessments, homelessness, financial support, and safeguarding processes.
- Experience supervising frontline practitioners, students, and/or volunteers, providing regular supervision and professional support.
- The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, balancing duty responsibilities with case management.
- Excellent communication, decision-making, and relationship-building skills.
Benefits
- Your own dedicated specialist consultant.
- Access to the widest variety of jobs across 150 authorities and private organisations throughout the UK.
- Prompt and reliable payroll.
- Free DBS and compliance service.
- £500 referral fees.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Advanced Practitioner| Early Help / Front Door Team| Hounslow| £41ph
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Community Care Live.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Community Care Live!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Community Care Live, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Community Care Live or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Advanced Practitioner| Early Help / Front Door Team| Hounslow| £41ph
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Community Care Live:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Community Care Live! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Community Care Live
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
