Advanced Practitioner in Cheltenham

We are currently recruiting for an Advanced Practitioner to join our Children in Care team based in Cheltenham.

Reward and Support

• Between £48,226 - £51,356 per annum subject to experience
• Up to £8,000 relocation package
• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years continuous service (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Family friendly policies and benefits to help support you and your family
• Supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone
• An in‑house Occupational Health service
• Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) and the Young Employees Network
• Career development and qualification opportunities
• Access to our Social Work Academy
• Cycle to Work scheme (eligibility criteria and t&cs apply)
• Green Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme (eligibility criteria and t&cs apply)

About the team

Our teams consist of a Team Manager, an Advanced Practitioner, and four Social Workers. We have two teams who have one Family Support Worker each. All our teams have permanent, experienced managers in place. We are a friendly and welcoming service, with cohesive teams who work together to provide children and young people with the best possible care from their corporate parents. These dedicated social workers are responsible for all children who are looked after by Gloucestershire as a local authority after their care proceedings end, ensuring that their care plans and permanence are progressed in timely ways. All teams work in partnership with internal and external professionals as well as birth families. This includes Fostering, Every Story Matters, Children and families commissioning, Independent Reviewing Officers, Education and Health.

About the role

As an Advanced Practitioner, you will be at the heart of Gloucestershire’s practice model, holding an expert and influential role within your team. You will play a key part in supporting the development and delivery of high quality, complex social work practice through joint working, professional advice and guidance, and quality assurance activity. You will model Gloucestershire’s relational systemic practice approach and actively promote our practice standards, supporting a strong and reflective practice culture across the team. Advanced Practitioners provide direction and constructive challenge to team members to improve the quality of practice. This includes activities such as quality assuring assessments, undertaking joint visits, and supporting reflective discussion on practice, helping staff to develop confidence, skills and professional judgement. The post requires a strong capacity to support and influence others. You will contribute to the professional oversight of work within the team, offering guidance, mentoring and support to social workers, and working closely with Team Managers to promote safe, effective and consistent practice. As part of the role, you may provide Newly Qualified Social Workers with monthly reflective supervision and undertake observations of practice, with overall responsibility for NQSW management remaining with Team Managers. You will also support and contribute to the learning and development of Social Work students within the team. You will jointly lead on a specific area of practice, offering a weekly consultation that practitioners across the service can book into, providing specialist support and helping to strengthen practice in this area. You will work closely with the Social Work Academy through regular forums and training activity, contributing to the development of standardised practice and bringing new learning opportunities back into your team. Advanced Practitioners hold a small number of cases, ensuring sufficient capacity to focus on professional leadership, practice development and support for colleagues.

About you

As well as your experience, there are some things we require of you to be successfully appointed to this post:

• A full driving licence and willingness to drive
• DBS clearance (Enhanced Adults and Children’s)
• To have completed your ASYE year (if you qualified after 2012)

We may be able to offer sponsorship for this role, in line with Home Office guidance and subject to pre‑employment checks. Applicants must already hold a valid right to work in the UK that Gloucestershire County Council can transfer. It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a customer facing role must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.