Senior Practitioner - Children's Social Work Services

Looking to develop your best practice?
We are the right team, at the right time and in the right place.

The right team
Doing the best for the children of Kent depends on a team effort. We celebrate our Senior Practitioners who work hard to foster a culture of excellence and collaboration – a place where all social workers are empowered to be creative, share ideas and advice.
And the right team needs the right managers. Ours have a well-deserved reputation for being supportive and giving regular, quality supervision. There are also many credible expert practitioners to learn from and you’ll find them approachable and keen to help. Sharing knowledge is part of who we are. Together, our teams deliver strengthened services and improved outcomes for children.
The right time

There has never been a better time to join us, a fact confirmed by our recent Ofsted report which stated ‘Children are at the centre of Kent County Council’s culture and practice. This has enabled more of its children to benefit from services that are of a consistently good standard, resulting in positive outcomes for them and their families. Outstanding practice is evident for children in care and care experienced young people as they clearly benefit from the support they receive and make good progress.’
We have invested in every area of our service including the careers of outstanding people who share our commitment to improving young lives in Kent.

The right place
We can offer a wide variety of work that you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. Kent is a large and diverse county, offering a broad range of opportunities to support children and young people from all backgrounds and circumstances. You’ll be able to work across a range of locations and environments, and to be seconded to or move to other teams.
Meanwhile, you’ll be free to develop professionally, build your area of specialist practice and apply your knowledge to high profile and sensitive cases. Our Social Care Academy is at the heart of this strategy, with a range of training events and e-learning to help you to develop and improve your skills and knowledge. At this level, you’ll champion good practice and set performance expectations, acting as a Practice Assessor for ASYE and student social workers if required.
You’ll also have the chance to share your expertise through assisted fieldwork, court attendance, case audits and reviews, and by chairing complex meetings. Through working groups and multi-agency forums, you’ll contribute to the development of new initiatives.

About you
Professionally registered with a degree in social work – CQSW, DipSW or equivalent – you’ll have a variety of post-qualification experience of working with children and families. This should cover systemic practice, and you’ll need an in-depth understanding of legislative and policy frameworks. We’re also looking for the willingness to develop as a practitioner.
Being a team player is essential in any social work team, and you’ll act as a role model and mentor to less experienced colleagues, contributing to training initiatives. The ability to build relationships with colleagues as well as statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies, will be key.

Rewards
In return, we offer an attractive benefits package, a competitive salary and a range of professional development opportunities including the exciting social care academy and routes for progression. Ofsted focused on this when they said ‘All staff were rightly proud of the work they do, and proud of the progress they make with children and families… They speak very positively about working in Kent, feel supported by their colleagues and valued by managers, and have excellent training and opportunities for further development and career progression.’
We are also committed to ensuring you achieve a healthy work life balance with flexible working arrangements and an emphasis on health and well-being.

Transport
The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wide operational area including travelling around the county of Kent and beyond to transport children and their belongings and be available to do so in an emergency. You should note that public transport is rarely a viable option as your role will involve you transporting people and equipment to venues in very rural areas, often with limited public transport

Eligibility
This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service and up to date registration with the appropriate professional body as a qualified Social Worker.
This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.
Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Please do not re-apply if you have been interviewed for this post in the last six months.

Contact Details
To find out more about the role please email socialcarerecruitment@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 411118.