Advanced Practitioner in Birmingham

Sheldon Phillips are working in partnership with Barnsley Council to recruit an experienced Advanced Practitioner to join their Children in Care Team. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly skilled practitioner looking to take on a leadership role within a dedicated service that supports children and young people in care to achieve positive outcomes, stability, and permanence.

Role Overview

As an Advanced Practitioner within the Children in Care Team, you will manage a complex caseload of looked after children while providing practice leadership, mentoring, and support to less experienced social workers across the team. You will play a key role in promoting high standards of practice, ensuring children receive timely and effective interventions that support their safety, wellbeing, and long-term outcomes.

Working closely with managers and partner agencies, you will contribute to service development, support quality assurance activity, and champion relationship-based practice with children, young people, and their families.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a complex caseload of children and young people subject to Care Orders, Section 20 arrangements, and other looked after children processes.
• Complete statutory visits, assessments, care planning, and pathway planning in accordance with legislation and local procedures.
• Develop and review care plans that promote permanence, stability, and positive outcomes.
• Support children to maintain meaningful relationships with family members where appropriate.
• Undertake direct work with children and young people to ensure their voices are central to planning and decision-making.
• Contribute to permanence planning, including rehabilitation, special guardianship, long-term fostering, and adoption planning.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and practice support to social workers within the team.
• Assist managers with quality assurance, case audits, and the development of good practice.
• Chair professional meetings and provide guidance on complex casework where required.
• Work effectively with carers, education providers, health professionals, legal services, and other partner agencies.
• Prepare high-quality reports for statutory reviews, court proceedings, and permanence planning meetings.

Benefits

• £37 per hour pay rate.
• 37-hour working week.
• Opportunity to take on a leadership-focused Advanced Practitioner role.
• Supportive management structure and experienced team environment.
• Varied and rewarding Children in Care caseload.
• Opportunity to influence practice standards and support workforce development.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities where service needs allow.
• Well-established local authority committed to achieving positive outcomes for children in care.

Requirements

• Social Work qualification (Degree, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent).
• Registration with Social Work England.
• Significant post-qualified experience within Children's Services.
• Extensive experience working with Looked After Children and permanence planning.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, safeguarding processes, and care planning requirements.
• Ability to manage complex casework and provide professional guidance to colleagues.
• Experience supporting or mentoring less experienced practitioners.
• Excellent assessment, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-agency environment.
• Commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

Interested? If you're an experienced Children's Social Worker ready to take the next step into an Advanced Practitioner position within a supportive Children in Care Team, we'd love to hear from you.