Senior Practitioner - Children in Care East in Birmingham

Birmingham Children's Trust is dedicated to providing outstanding care and support to children and families across Birmingham. Our mission is to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe, nurturing environment. We are a dynamic and forward‑thinking organisation, committed to innovation and excellence in social work practice.

Within children in care, our work is both varied and rewarding, working with children and young people aged 0‑18 who are subject to both interim and final Care Orders or placed in local authority care under section 20. We support children living at home under care orders, within connected care placements, foster care, residential and semi‑supported settings. We hold care proceedings within our children in care service from the point of interim care order until the final order. We focus on achieving permanency for our children at the earliest opportunity and progressing reunification where safe and appropriate.

Our services will always be joined up and you will develop robust partnerships with other teams and outside agencies, including the police, health, schools and voluntary organisations.

Position Summary

• To provide a lead role in improving the quality of professional social work practice across the breadth of the case work cycle to children, young people and their families.
• To provide a needs‑led, professional social work service to children, young people and their families, complying with legislative requirements and in accordance with established best practice.
• To undertake complex casework arising within the children and family services.
• To share and communicate a thorough working knowledge of relevant legislation, national standards, guidance, research, departmental policy and procedures.
• To be responsible for allocated cases including a complex caseload.
• To take a ‘joined‑up’ approach to ensuring the effectiveness of case working, actively promoting and encouraging effective partnership working with service users and other teams, agencies or organisations.
• To provide quality assurance and coaching/mentoring to work colleagues.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham and have the correct right‑to‑work documents to work in the UK. We do not support those who require sponsorship.

Our Benefits

• An incentive payment of £1,000 paid in full in your first months’ salary (T&C’s apply).
• Retention bonus of £5,000 per annum paid in monthly instalments (T&C’s apply).
• Relocation Allowance of up to £8,000 (T&C’s apply).
• We pay your Social Work England registration fee.
• We pay your DBS application fee and reimburse your update service fee.
• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme which gives you the chance to drive a brand‑new car for an affordable fixed monthly amount as part of a salary sacrifice initiative.
• Free on‑site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley).
• Onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more.
• Flexible and hybrid working policy – we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns, to support the needs of the Trust and to ensure a positive work/life balance for our employees.
• You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Discounted gym memberships with Pure Gym and Nuffield Health.

Help us to change children and young people’s lives! At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work – be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment – enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development – benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits – take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected. We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people. We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development. Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people. The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people. We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.