Enhanced Social Work Practitioner in North East

Are you an experienced social worker ready to progress your career and step into a role supporting our Newly Qualified Social Workers, modelling exceptional practice that will inspire and develop their skills at this important stage of their careers? If so, we want to hear from you!

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

In our Pre-Birth team you will work closely with care leavers, young parents, and families who have previously been involved in care proceedings. By delivering intensive, relationship-based intervention that supports parents to achieve meaningful and sustainable change you will help more children to remain safely within their birth families. Where this is not in the child's best interest, you will work to find a permanent home for the child as early as possible utilising our early permanence procedures.

As an enhanced practitioner, in addition to holding a reduced caseload, you will use your experience and knowledge to:

You will be joining us at a fantastic time. Inspectors have judged our Children's Services as outstanding.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide advice and guidance to our Newly Qualified Social Workers to help them build their confidence, resilience, knowledge, and skills in line with the post qualifying standards.
• Plan and facilitate sessions that encourage our Newly Qualified Social Workers to reflect, develop multiple hypotheses and enable peer challenge and critical reflection in decision-making. Sessions will incorporate the Signs of Safety practice model and trauma informed relational practice.
• Provide advice and guidance to Newly Qualified Social Workers on their cases and co-working more complex cases ensuring this reflection is evident on the child's record and improves outcomes for the child.
• Work closely with the Practice Leads in our Social Work Academy and your Team Manager to ensure that the Newly Qualified Social Workers have appropriate caseloads in terms of number and complexity, and that they progress well.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Be a social worker with significant experience of work with children, young people and families.
• Have experience of using evidence-based practice to devise effective interventions.
• Have knowledge and experience of implementing legislation and national standards relevant to the role.
• Have the ability to implement a range of social work theories relevant to the role.
• Be committed to improving outcomes for children, young people, families and carers.

If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

Rewards and Benefits

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years' continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

This post is eligible for a recruitment/retention allowance of £2,500 over 12 months (pro-rata for part time workers). Payments are made in equal instalments across a 12-month period alongside your pay. The allowances are subject to tax, National Insurance and pension contributions. Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.