Senior Practitioner - Children in Care

Are you a dedicated and experienced social worker passionate about championing practice? We are now looking for passionate Senior Practitioners who can commit to making a difference to our children in Medway.

As a Senior Practitioner you will hold a caseload of complex cases whilst supporting the Team Manager, alongside the Assistant Team Manager, in delivering high quality standards of social work to the children open for assessment, intervention, and support. You will support the leadership of the team and service through the provision of mentoring, coaching, support and practice expertise to other less experienced team members, supporting them in their professional development and progression. If you are passionate about an area of practice, we will support you to continue to develop in this area, become a champion and share your expertise with colleagues across Medway Children’s Services.

Children matter in Medway, and so do you. It’s an exciting time to join us as we offer competitive pay and conditions and hybrid working. We are committed to helping you to grow and develop throughout your career and reach your full potential. Our practice development offer, whether you are a manager or practitioner, ensures you will be guided, supported and cared for.

Whether you are an experienced social worker looking for the next step in your career or an existing senior practitioner we’d like to hear from you. You will be joining an experienced and dedicated social work team who have relationship and strengths-based work with children and families at the core of their practice.

Join us and #Make a Difference…

Our Offer

We are proud to offer a range of benefits including –

• A market allowance of  £6,000 per annum (payable in 12 equal instalments)
• A retention payment of £3,000 per annum (payable in April, following 1 years service in Medway)
• A generous annual leave entitlement up to 30 days plus bank holidays
• An excellent local government pension scheme
• An essential car user allowance with option to apply for a lease car after six months.
• Free car parking
• Hybrid working - enabling you to work from home/office (minimum of 2 days per week will be required in the office). Assessment Teams are office based for duty weeks.
• Relocation package of up to £8,000
• A range of staff benefits and discounts including access to fantastic discounts and savings on shops and services, travel discounts, health and wellbeing support, and an employee assistance service.
• Access to professional development and support including Community Care Inform.
• Hybrid working style

About You

• You will hold a recognised Social Work qualification eg. Degree in Social Work, PGC in Social Work, CQSW, DipSW or equivalent and be registered with Social Work England.
• You will have successfully completed your ASYE 
• You will have a full driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.

For further information on the qualifications, skills and experience required, please refer to the Job Profile and Person Specification.

This position is subject to an Enhanced Children’s DBS Check.

Our organisation:

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.

Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.

We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information-

Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile

Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement

Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age

For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online

Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.  All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.

Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.