Senior Practitioner

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.

Senior Practitioner for Children in Care - this is an exciting role and a great opportunity to develop your leadership skills and progress your career pathway in Social Work.

You will hold up to 5 complex families with the remainder of the role focused on role modelling, supporting and developing good practice and consistent performance within your team alongside the Team Manager. You will coordinate and facilitate group supervision, advising and guiding social workers in their work with children and families and progressing tasks delegated by the Team Manager.

At Birmingham Children's Trust, we are 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 / semi-supported settings. We hold care proceedings within our children in care service at the point of interim care order, through until final order. We have a strong focus upon achieving permanency for our children at the earliest opportunity along with progressing reunification where safe and appropriate to do so.

Our services will always be joined up and you will develop robust partnerships with other teams and outside agencies; to include 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 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/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/encouraging effective partnership working with service users and other teams/agencies/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. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

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.