Advanced Practitioner

Advanced Social Work Practitioner - Children's Long-Term Team

Newcastle City Council

Up to £34 per hour

Are you an experienced and highly skilled Social Worker ready to take the next step in your career? Join Newcastle City Council as an Advanced Practitioner in our dedicated Children's Long-Term Team.

This is an exciting opportunity to apply your extensive experience in complex case management and help shape the practice of others.

Key Responsibilities:

As an Advanced Practitioner, you will focus on high-quality, reflective practice and provide leadership and guidance within the Long-Term Team. Your duties will include:

• Expert Case Management: Holding a small, complex, and high-risk caseload, often involving care proceedings, serious safeguarding concerns, and children subject to permanence planning (adoption or long-term foster care).
• Practice Leadership: Providing informal and formal supervision, coaching, and mentoring to less experienced Social Workers, fostering a culture of continuous professional development and reflective practice.
• Quality Assurance: Leading on quality assurance activities such as case file audits, dip samples, and preparing cases for statutory reviews to ensure consistency and adherence to statutory requirements and high professional standards.
• Court Work: Preparing high-quality court reports (e.g., statements of evidence, care plans), attending court hearings, and providing expert testimony in care proceedings.
• Strategy and Decision-Making: Acting as a subject matter expert, advising management on the most complex decisions, and ensuring that all interventions are legally sound and in the child's best interests.
• Statutory Reviews: Attending and contributing to a range of meetings and statutory reviews, including Child Protection Conferences and Looked After Child (LAC) Reviews.

Requirements

• Qualification: Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Registration: Current registration with Social Work England (SWE).
• Experience: Significant post-qualifying experience (typically 4+ years) within a Children's Services setting, specifically within a long-term or court-focused team.
• Expert Knowledge: Expert-level knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Children Act 1989, statutory guidance, and established best practice.
• Leadership Skills: Proven ability to coach, mentor, and provide constructive feedback to colleagues.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills for engagement with vulnerable families, presentation of complex information in court, and preparation of detailed reports.

If you are ready to use your advanced skills to safeguard children and mentor the next generation of Social Workers in a supportive council, we encourage you to apply!