Senior Practitioner - Practice Development in Birmingham

Sheldon Phillips are working in partnership with Birmingham Children’s Trust to recruit an experienced Senior Practitioner in Learning to join their Learning Academy. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced social work professional who is passionate about workforce development, learning, and leadership to help shape the future of Children’s Services across one of the largest local authorities in the country.

Working within the Learning Academy, you will play a key role in designing, delivering, and evaluating high-quality learning programmes that support social workers and managers across Front Door and Assessment, Safeguarding, and Court Services. This position offers the opportunity to influence practice standards, develop future leaders, and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement across the Trust.

Role Overview

As a Senior Practitioner in Learning, you will be responsible for leading workforce development initiatives that support Birmingham Children’s Trust's commitment to delivering outstanding services for children and families. You will work closely with operational leaders, practitioners, and external partners to identify learning needs, deliver engaging training programmes, and evaluate the impact of learning on practice outcomes. This role would suit an experienced practitioner, Advanced Practitioner, Practice Educator, or Workforce Development professional with a strong background in statutory children's social work and a passion for supporting others to develop their skills and practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deliver induction, continuing professional development (CPD), and specialist learning programmes.
• Facilitate large-scale training events and learning sessions for groups ranging from small workshops to audiences of up to 300 practitioners.
• Support the implementation of the Learning and Workforce Development Strategy across Children’s Services.
• Identify workforce learning needs through consultation, evaluation, and performance data analysis.
• Deliver leadership development programmes for current and aspiring managers.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and reflective learning opportunities for practitioners and leaders.
• Support the professional development of social workers across Front Door, Assessment, Safeguarding, and Court Services.
• Lead and contribute to workforce development projects and cultural improvement initiatives.
• Build strong relationships with operational teams, higher education institutions, and external training providers.
• Promote evidence-informed practice and ensure learning content reflects current legislation, research, and best practice.
• Evaluate learning interventions and measure their impact on practitioner confidence, competence, and service delivery.
• Champion equality, diversity, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice throughout all learning activities.

Benefits

• Hybrid working arrangement with only 1–2 office days per week.
• Opportunity to influence practice across one of the UK's largest Children’s Services organisations.
• Work within a dedicated Learning Academy focused on workforce excellence.
• Exposure to strategic workforce development and leadership programmes.
• Collaborative and supportive management structure.
• Long-term locum opportunity with potential for extension.
• Opportunity to work with practitioners at all stages of their careers, from ASYE through to senior leadership.

Requirements

• Social Work England registration.
• Qualified Social Worker with substantial statutory Children’s Services experience.
• Experience delivering training, workforce development, coaching, mentoring, or practice improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of adult learning principles and learning programme design.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to engage and inspire large groups of practitioners.
• Experience supporting reflective practice and professional development.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Commitment to high-quality practice and continuous improvement.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience within a Learning Academy, Workforce Development, or Learning and Development function.
• Knowledge of leadership and management development frameworks.
• Experience supporting ASYE, NQSW, or student social worker development.
• Coaching, mentoring, or practice educator qualifications.

If you are an experienced social worker with a passion for learning, leadership, and workforce development, we would love to hear from you. For more information, to apply, or if you would like an informal chat with the hiring manager, please contact: Emily Cooper - (phone number removed)