At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and support foster carers, ensuring safe and high-quality placements for children.
- Company: Join Herefordshire Council, a supportive team focused on fostering improvement.
- Benefits: Enjoy a £10,000 welcome payment, flexible working, and 31 days annual leave.
- Other info: Opportunities for professional growth and mentorship in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Social Work degree, registration, and significant fostering experience required.
Herefordshire Council is strengthening its fostering and kinship provision as part of its wider improvement journey. With sustained investment and a stable leadership structure, the service offers a strong, supportive environment where experienced practitioners can genuinely influence practice and outcomes.
As a Senior Practitioner in the Fostering Kinship Team, you’ll take a lead role in supervising foster carers and connected persons, overseeing complex assessments, and ensuring placements remain safe, high-quality, and aligned with children’s long-term plans.
You’ll provide professional oversight to colleagues, contribute to panel preparation and quality assurance, and act as a key source of expertise in permanency, matching, and regulatory compliance. This role is ideal for someone who combines strong fostering experience with the confidence to guide others and shape service standards.
Key Responsibilities- Carry out and quality-assure complex fostering and kinship assessments, including Form F and SGO assessments.
- Provide reflective supervision and expert guidance to carers and colleagues.
- Lead on complex placement stability planning, disruption meetings, and support packages.
- Prepare high-quality reports for fostering panel and court.
- Promote best practice across assessment, supervision, and regulatory compliance.
- Ensure accurate recording and oversight within the MOSAIC system.
Herefordshire’s Family Safeguarding Model underpins practice across the service, emphasising restorative, strengths-based relationships with children, families, and carers. In fostering, this means valuing carers as core partners in delivering safe and nurturing homes, supported by clear communication, consistency, and reflective practice.
Senior Practitioners help embed Motivational Interviewing, Restorative Practice, and multidisciplinary working, ensuring carers receive tailored support and children experience stable, well-matched placements.
Requirements- Social Work degree or equivalent qualification.
- Social Work England registration.
- Significant experience in fostering, kinship, or permanency services.
- Strong understanding of fostering regulations, assessments, and care planning.
- Proven ability to mentor, support, and develop colleagues.
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
- Pool cars available for work travel.
- Sponsorship available for candidates with 2+ years UK experience.
- £10,000 Welcome Payment & £4,000 Retention Payment.
- Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Protected professional development time and training budget.
- Clear progression pathways to management roles.
- Flexible working: flexi-time, job share, part-time hours, and hybrid options.
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- Payment of Social Work England registration fees.
- “Pick Your Perks” benefits portal offering discounts on retail, health, leisure and travel.
- 31 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to 10 additional days.
Interested? Contact Josh Da Costa at Sheldon Phillips to discuss this role in more detail.
Referral Bonus: Know someone perfect for the role? We offer up to £500 for successful referrals.
Senior Practitioner in Hereford employer: Sheldon Phillips Ltd
Herefordshire Council is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and stable environment for Senior Practitioners in the Fostering Kinship Team. With competitive salaries, generous welcome and retention payments, and a commitment to professional development, employees can thrive while making a meaningful impact on children's lives. The flexible working options and clear pathways for career progression further enhance the appeal of working in this vital role within the community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Practitioner in Hereford
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Sheldon Phillips Ltd.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Sheldon Phillips Ltd!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Sheldon Phillips Ltd, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Sheldon Phillips Ltd or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Practitioner in Hereford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Sheldon Phillips Ltd:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Sheldon Phillips Ltd! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sheldon Phillips Ltd
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
