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-on-Sea City Council are looking to appoint a full-time, permanent Court Progression Manager to ensure the excellence of social work practice, and professional conduct in public family law settings (The ‘Public Law Outline’ – care proceedings and pre- proceedings) and the timely execution of the local authority’s public law applications and its pre-proceedings activity. Ensuring that the voices of the children involved, their wishes, aspirations and feelings are always heard, and are at the heart of the local authority’s public law activity and care order applications. Ensuring children’s plans for permanence are progressed quickly and efficiently through pre-and care proceedings, avoiding delay. There will also be a need to ensure that the social work evidence, assessments and plans of the local authority concerning the children subject to its care order applications and pre-proceedings (PLO) interventions are of the highest quality.

You will take a leading role in innovation by improving the local activity within the public law framework and work in partnership with the courts, CAFCASS and other local authorities to achieve better outcomes for children. 

You will not hold a caseload but instead, collaborate closely with qualified social workers across all teams within Children's Services, supporting them in preparing their evidence for court and providing support and advice to Team Managers and practitioners for Legal Planning Meetings.

To be successful in this position you must be able to work in the UK, have a recognised Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England.

You will need to have substantial post-qualification experience in social care/safeguarding settings. Have previous experience of working within the framework of the 1989 Children Act, Adoption and Children Act 2002, Children Act 2004 and other relevant legislation including Working Together 2013, 2015 and 2018.

You will be required to visit locations in and out of the city easily, therefore a valid driving licence and car available for business use is essential.

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.

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

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

Click here for JD

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.