Senior Practitioner – Young People Service 16+ in London

Salary: Grade 15 (£55,323-£57,402)

Permanent – 36 hours per week

Retention Payment – £2,500

Hybrid working (3 days per week in the office, 2 days at home)

Job Purpose

We are looking to recruit a social work qualified senior practitioner into our recently transformed 16+ service. The service supports Children in Care who are aged 16‐17 and Care Experienced adults aged 18‐25. This is an exciting time to join Croydon as we have recently reconfigured the service to create smaller teams with additional management support. We are also working with our multi‐agency partners to create dedicated specialist support for our young people, including from Health, Adult Services, Housing and Education. We are looking for social workers who have experience of working with young people who are in Care and Care Experienced. The role will include practice development and supporting newly qualified social workers within the service.

Essential Requirements

• Significant post‐qualifying experience of multi‐agency working, risk management, care and permanence planning, ability to analyse complex circumstances and formulate appropriate intervention plans.
• Experience of delivering high quality direct and life story work within a systemic practice framework to increase outcomes and care planning for our young people, to enable them to move into independence with better outcomes.
• Creative and highly motivated experienced social workers who consistently ensure that young people are central to their intervention.
• Experience of working with children in care and supporting them to progress effectively to adulthood with appropriate skills for independence.
• Ability to create and maintain relationships whilst applying appropriate challenge to advocate for young people.
• Experience of supporting less experienced social workers is desirable, for instance qualified practice educators.
• Qualification in or experience of working within a systemic practice framework including use or facilitating group supervision to achieve high quality outcomes.

About Us

Croydon Council's priorities:

• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon's diverse communities and businesses
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities

Key Business Plan Outcomes

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we're proud to call home
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer

Croydon Council's new ways of working

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.