At a Glance
- Tasks: Support children and families in fostering arrangements, ensuring stability and positive outcomes.
- Company: Somerset Council, a forward-thinking organisation focused on children's needs.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, supportive environment, and opportunities for professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of children and foster carers.
- Qualifications: Experience with families and children, strong assessment skills, and relevant qualifications.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team dedicated to improving children's lives across Somerset.
The predicted salary is between 27 - 38 ÂŁ per hour.
Somerset Council is seeking an experienced and dynamic Professional Practitioner to join our Fostering Intervention Team (FIT) on an initial 3-month contract. This is a key role supporting children living in fostering and kinship arrangements, with a strong focus on placement stability, prevention of breakdown, and strengthening carers’ capacity to care.
About the Role
The Fostering Intervention Team works intensively with children, foster carers and kinship carers to prevent escalation to statutory intervention and to improve outcomes for children. As a Professional Practitioner, you will provide day‑to‑day oversight, guidance and professional support to workers within the team, ensuring that interventions are timely, purposeful and child‑centred. You will use your strong assessment, planning and intervention skills to support families with complex needs, reduce risk, manage crises, and work collaboratively with multi‑agency partners. This is a fast‑paced role requiring someone who can hit the ground running and confidently engage families and professionals from day one.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and supervise practitioners within the Fostering Intervention Team
- Lead high‑quality assessment, planning and intervention in a whole‑family context
- Support foster and kinship carers to maintain placements and manage challenges
- Reduce risk and prevent escalation to statutory children’s social care
- Work collaboratively with multi‑agency partners with informed consent
- Ensure safeguarding and risk management in line with policy and procedure
- Maintain accurate and timely case recording using ICT systems
Essential Experience
- Proven experience working with families, foster carers and/or kinship carers in a multi‑agency context
- Experience supporting children and young people, including those with challenging behaviour and in crisis situations
- Experience contributing to the planning, delivery and review of services for families/carers
- Strong skills in risk management and safeguarding practice
- Experience using ICT systems for case recording
- Experience supporting carers using trauma‑informed and therapeutic parenting approaches
- Background in youth work, education, residential care or a related field
- Experience contributing to multi‑agency meetings (e.g. Team Around the School)
Qualifications / Training
- Minimum of 5 GCSEs (A–C) or Level 3 equivalent
- Relevant qualification in working with parents (e.g. City & Guilds Work with Parents Level 3 or equivalent)
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Training or experience in mediation
- Safeguarding / child protection training
- Relevant Level 4 qualification
Why Join Somerset? Somerset Council offers a supportive, experienced and forward‑thinking working environment, where children’s needs are kept firmly at the centre of practice. You’ll be part of a large, dynamic team making a real difference to the lives of children and carers across the county.
Professional Practitioner in Bath employer: Service Care Solutions
Contact Detail:
Service Care Solutions Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Professional Practitioner in Bath
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the fostering and social care sectors. Attend local events or online webinars to meet people who might know about job openings. Remember, sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions related to fostering and intervention. Think about your past experiences and how they relate to the role. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or family to boost your confidence.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your experience working with families and children. Include case studies or examples of successful interventions. This will help you stand out during interviews and show that you’re ready to hit the ground running.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our platform.
We think you need these skills to ace Professional Practitioner in Bath
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight your experience with families and multi-agency work. We want to see how your skills align with the role of a Professional Practitioner in our Fostering Intervention Team.
Showcase Relevant Experience: Don’t hold back on sharing your past experiences, especially those involving crisis situations or working with challenging behaviours. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so let us know how you’ve done this before!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your key skills and experiences shine through without unnecessary fluff. Remember, we’re busy too!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team at Somerset Council!
How to prepare for a job interview at Service Care Solutions
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the key responsibilities of a Professional Practitioner. Brush up on your knowledge about fostering, kinship care, and the specific challenges faced by families in these situations. This will help you demonstrate your expertise and show that you can hit the ground running.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare to discuss your previous experience working with families and children, especially in crisis situations. Use specific examples to illustrate how you've successfully managed risk and supported carers. This will highlight your suitability for the role and your ability to contribute from day one.
✨Engage with Multi-Agency Work
Since collaboration is key in this role, be ready to talk about your experience working with multi-agency partners. Share examples of how you’ve effectively communicated and coordinated with other professionals to achieve positive outcomes for children and families.
✨Ask Thoughtful Questions
Prepare some insightful questions to ask during the interview. This could include inquiries about the team dynamics, the types of cases you might handle, or how the council supports ongoing professional development. Asking questions shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if it’s the right fit for you.