Senior Practitioner - Children with Disabilities Team in Grays

The Children with Disabilities Team (CWD) is a specialist service supporting children and young people with disabilities and their families. We work in partnership to deliver high-quality, child-centred services that safeguard and promote welfare and improve outcomes.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced, energetic, and passionate qualified social worker with experience in a statutory setting. You will be a collaborative team player, able to motivate, support, and empower the staff you supervise. You will think creatively and work effectively in partnership with colleagues and multi-agency professionals. As a Senior Social Worker within the Children with Disabilities (CWD) team, you will manage a complex and varied caseload, including Child in Need, Child Protection, Child in Care, and safeguarding responsibilities for children and young people with additional needs. You will play a key role in leading high-quality assessments, developing effective care plans, and chairing and contributing to statutory CIN reviews, ensuring that interventions are outcome-focused and tailored to the specific needs of children with disabilities and their families.

You will provide professional leadership within the team by supporting, mentoring, and guiding less experienced social workers, helping to build confidence, capability, and reflective practice. As a senior practitioner, you will offer clear practice direction and maintain high standards of social work, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, local policies, and best practice guidance. Working collaboratively with team managers, you will contribute to the effective delivery and development of the service, supporting decision-making and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. You will also establish and maintain strong multi-agency partnerships, working closely with health, education, and other professionals to ensure coordinated and holistic support for children and their families. In addition, you will play an active role in quality assurance processes, including auditing, group supervision, and service development initiatives, helping to drive improvements in practice and outcomes. This is an opportunity to influence positive change, champion the needs and rights of children with disabilities, and ensure they receive the highest standard of care and support.

What We’re Looking For

• Significant experience in children’s social care, including substantial work within a Children with Disabilities (CWD) setting, with a strong understanding of the needs of children and young people with a range of complex disabilities and additional needs.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, and safeguarding frameworks, including the Children Acts, Working Together to Safeguard Children, and SEND reforms, with the ability to confidently apply these in practice.
• Proven experience of managing complex and high-risk cases, including Child in Need, Child Protection, and Children in Care, with the ability to make sound professional judgements in challenging situations.
• Strong court experience, including preparing high-quality reports and statements, giving evidence, and representing the local authority effectively; experience of Deprivation of Liberty Orders and associated legal frameworks is highly desirable.
• Demonstrable experience of mentoring, coaching, or supporting less experienced staff, students, or newly qualified social workers, and contributing to a positive learning and development culture.
• Highly developed assessment and analytical skills, with the ability to produce clear, evidence-based assessments and outcome-focused care plans that reflect the lived experience of the child.
• Confident and effective decision-making skills, with the ability to balance risk, prioritise workload, and respond appropriately in fast-paced and complex environments.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong, trusting relationships with children, families, and multi-agency partners, and to manage sensitive or challenging conversations professionally.
• Experience of effective multi-agency working, with the ability to collaborate with health, education, and partner organisations to deliver coordinated and holistic support.
• A strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, with a clear understanding of anti-discriminatory practice and a passion for promoting the rights, voice, and participation of children with disabilities and their families.

Essential Qualifications:

• Social Work Degree or equivalent
• Social Work England registration

DBS Requirement: Enhanced DBS check including Children’s Barred List required.

Important Dates

• Closing Date (Redeployment Only): 23rd July 2026
• Closing Date (Internal & External): 16th August 2026
• Interview Date: To Be Confirmed

If you have any questions about the role or interview process, please contact: Tracy McCappin - Deputy Team Manager Tracy.McCappin@thurrock.gov.uk

To view the Job Profile and Person Specification, please follow the link below: Download Job Profile (PDF Document)

As part of the Safer Recruitment process, Gap Management from when leaving full-time education is required for all Safeguarding roles. Please complete the Gaps in Employment grid provided (refer to the example document for guidance) and upload it under Miscellaneous Documents as part of your application. Please provide a full history with explanations of any gaps and ensure you also upload a copy of your full CV. If the Job Profile and Person Specification list any qualifications as essential, please also upload copies of those relevant qualifications.