Children Services

Our vision is A Southend Where All Children Achieve Success. By joining Southend City Council as an Advanced Practitioner, you will be key in making our vision a reality for all children. You will be joining a service where we demonstrate with pride that: 

• All paths lead back to the child.
• We spend time getting to know each child and their story.
• We do what we say we're going to do.
• We work with the whole family.
• No matter what, we aim to make things better. 

You will provide support to work to the highest standard using our model of practice, Restorative Practice, to deliver the vision. You will access a professional social work development offer that has been designed by social workers, whatever stage you are at in your career. You will be given regular restorative supervision and separate supervision focussing on development and evidencing your SWE registration. We want everyone to take the lead in an area of interest for your team, and you will explore this with your line manager. 

We have posts in a number of teams, so please contact our recruitment partner, Hays, to discuss the teams we are currently recruiting to.

Southend City Council's Fostering Support Team are looking to appoint a full-time, permanent Fostering experienced Senior Practitioner within the Support Team.

Within this position, you will provide an efficient, cost-effective assessment intervention and therapeutic service to young people and their families. Ensuring that the needs of the children and their parents/carers are professionally assessed. Managing cases of high sensitivity or complexity and providing a focus of specialist advice and professional consultation, to gather, investigate, evaluate and analyse all necessary information on assigned cases. Demonstrating clarity of assessments, reliability of information, evidenced conclusions and realistic action plans. You will need to develop a practice which takes a holistic view of the individual, locating them in both their immediate and extended social circles, and having a full regard to their education, social, recreational and health. Ensuring that all case management complies with the statutory requirements and the council's policies and procedures.

The position is hybrid working, you will be expected to be on site a minimum of 1 day a week. There will be a team meeting every other week and duty is to be undertaken in the office, approx 3 days a month. 

To be successful in this position you must be able to work in the UK, have a 3-year-post qualified recognised Social Work qualification, be registered with the Social Work England and have completed your ASYE.

You must have knowledge or direct experience of fostering practice and National Minimum Standards. Have knowledge of trauma informed practice in relation to fostering, along with supervisory experience and knowledge of safeguarding and managing/overseeing complex caseloads.

Additional knowledge must demonstrate: understanding the framework for the assessment of children in need and their families and knowledge of methods of social work intervention. Previous experience of staff management, supervision or practice teaching along with extensive experience of applying assessment skills within a statutory social work setting is a must for this post.

Pension:
 Southend-on-Sea City Council provide membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) for employees aged under 75. The LGPS is a generous scheme and provides you with a future income, independent of share prices and stock market fluctuations.

Leave Entitlements:

We offer our employees a generous leave entitlement from 25 days up to 32 days based on length of service (Continuous service). Southend-on-Sea City Council also offer a range of flexible working and family-friendly leave.

*We also offer paid time off to allow employees to undertake volunteering activities*

Here at Southend-on-Sea City Council we also offer our employees free access to a benefit portal that provides access to wellbeing support and a range of salary sacrifice schemes to help spread the cost of items, including:

• Bicycles, cars, electronics and gym membership.
• The portal also provides access to a range of discounts on products and services including retail, food shopping, travel, dining out and leisure activities.
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Nowhere else will you gain as much experience on the job, making us a sought-after place to work. If you are passionate, dedicated to making a change and ready for a challenge – you could be the candidate we are looking for.

If you are interested in this role, please click 'apply online' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.

Click here for a full JD  Click here

If you are wanting further information that isn't in the JD, please contact Nathalie Nathalie.s@hays.com

Please note: Applications for this vacancy may close prior to the date advertised above, so you are advised to apply as soon as you are able to.

All applicants for this role will require an enhanced DBS check.

The Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications, regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, age or religion or belief.