Children’s Senior Practitioner

Who You Are

You are a qualified Social Worker (Social Work Degree, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent with a minimum of 3 years PWE) with current Social Work England registration and a strong commitment to ongoing professional development. You bring experience of working with children and families in a statutory social care setting, with a solid understanding of safeguarding, child protection, and relevant legislation and guidance. You are confident in assessing risk, analysing complex family dynamics, and delivering effective interventions that support children to remain safely within their families wherever possible. You are a skilled communicator, able to build trusted relationships with children, families, and multi-agency professionals. Your ability to listen, observe, and engage with empathy enables you to work restoratively and make a meaningful difference. Organised and resilient, you can manage a demanding workload, maintain accurate records, and produce clear and high-quality reports. You are confident using IT systems and committed to delivering high standards of practice. Above all, you share a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and families while working collaboratively and upholding values of trust, honesty, responsibility, inclusivity, and empathy.

What the job involves

As a Senior Practitioner within the Family Help team, you will play a vital role in supporting children, young people, and their families to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes. Working within a locality-based team, you will lead and manage a complex caseload, acting as the Family Help Lead Practitioner to deliver effective help, protection, and intervention. You'll assess needs, identify risks, and develop tailored Family Help Plans, working closely with partner agencies to ensure coordinated and multi-agency support. The role includes chairing and contributing to key meetings such as Child in Need, core group, and strategy discussions, as well as undertaking risk assessments and safeguarding work when concerns arise. You will build strong, restorative relationships with families and professionals, enabling meaningful change while promoting the safety and welfare of children, including those in the looked-after system. Accurate recording, report writing (including court work), and contributing to decision-making are key aspects of the role.

Skills

• Qualified Social Worker
• Experience in statutory social care
• Risk assessment and analysis
• Strong communication skills
• Organisational resilience
• IT proficiency
• Commitment to high practice standards