Back to search
Location: Hertfordshire
Salary: 40,221 - 44,428 per annum + market enhanced payment (6,084-6,243) + 1,000 welcome payment*
Hours: 37 per week, Full-time
Contract: Permanent
Base locations: Stevenage & Apsley
Directorate: Children's Services
About Us
At Hertfordshire County Council, we believe in giving children and young people the best support possible. As a progressive authority, we invest in our social workers by offering cutting-edge training and a supportive work environment. Working with us means being part of a team that strives for excellence in delivering services to vulnerable children and families.
We're proud to champion diversity and inclusion, ensuring our services reflect our values. Our 'Our Way Forward' initiative provides flexible working options, allowing you to thrive in both collaborative workspaces and remote settings.
The Role
We are seeking experienced Senior Practitioners to join our dynamic teams, including:
- Family Safeguarding
- 0-25 Disability Service
- Separated Migrant Children
- Children Looked After (CLA)
- Fostering
As a Senior Practitioner, you will lead on complex cases, provide support to less experienced staff, and contribute to shaping best practice. You'll be responsible for ensuring the best outcomes for children and families through collaboration, expert knowledge, and leadership.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage complex and diverse caseloads
- Guide and support less experienced team members
- Share up-to-date social work practices and research
- Lead on safeguarding, care planning, and fostering assessments
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and policies
About You
To be considered for this role, you must have:
- Social Work England registration
- Minimum 2 years' post-ASYE experience
- Strong communication and IT skills
- A full UK driving licence and regular access to a vehicle
Team-Specific Requirements:
- Family Safeguarding: Senior-level experience in safeguarding, child protection, and care proceedings
- Children Looked After: Experience in care planning, assessments, and working with challenging families
- 0-25 Disability Service: Experience in risk assessments and relationship-based work
- Separated Migrant Children: Knowledge of legislation around separated migrant children, including modern slavery and trafficking
- Fostering: Expertise in fostering assessments and knowledge of fostering regulations
What We Offer
- Competitive Salary: Starting at 40,221 per annum, progressing to 44,428 per annum with additional market enhanced payments.
- Welcome Payment: A one-off welcome payment of 1,000.
- Flexible Working: Embrace a mix of remote and office-based work, promoting a healthy work-life balance.
- Professional Development: Regular supervision meetings and tailored training opportunities provided by our specialist Learning & Development teams.
- Supportive Environment: Work alongside a team of dedicated professionals in a stimulating and collaborative atmosphere.
- Diversity & Inclusion: We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our workforce and the services we deliver.
Team-Specific Essential Criteria
Family Safeguarding:
- Significant senior-level frontline experience in a safeguarding team.
- Recent experience in case work related to Assessments, Child Protection, Children Looked After, and Care Proceedings.
- In-depth knowledge of relevant childcare legislation to effectively undertake work in this role.
Children Looked After:
- Experience in care planning, assessments, and reviews.
- Track record of working alongside challenging families.
0-25 Disability Service:
- Ability to complete robust assessments and assess risk.
- Ability to work in a relationship-based way.
Separated Migrant Children:
- Ability to complete robust assessments and assess risk.
- Knowledge/experience of working with Separated Migrant Children, including relevant legislation and guidance.
- Knowledge/experience of working with children and young people at risk of exploitation, including modern slavery and trafficking.
Fostering:
- Knowledge of TSD standards, fostering regulations, and legislation.
- Experience in undertaking fostering assessments, supervising foster carers, and supporting both foster carers and children looked after.
- Preparedness to visit foster carers who live out of county.
Contact Phil Puaca at Ackerman Pierce on (phone number removed),
