Senior Practitioner Assessment Service (Part-Time)

A part time opportunity has arisen for Senior Practitioner or a Social Worker who is looking for promotion, within the Assessment service for Peterborough City Council, The post offers the chance to contribute to high quality service delivery, further develop strong partnership/cross service working and in collaboration with social workers innovate and build on the good practice that is already in place.

In addition, we can offer you:

• A competitive* salary plus generous retention payments
• A relocation package up to £8,000 (T&Cs apply)
• Excellent pension scheme
• Agile working
• Superb career progression opportunities
• A wide range of training and CDP
• Flexible Working Arrangements inc 9 day working fortnight
• Generous Annual Leave
• salary grade subject to experience

The Assessment Service in Peterborough is made up of three teams. They are provided with their work by an integrated front door (which includes a MASH and contact centre). The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the first point of contact for all professionals in Peterborough to report their concerns over a child’s welfare, whether they are in education, the police, healthcare, charity or are a member of the public.

Each assessment team is on duty one week in three, during their duty week they respond to all contacts received for the Peterborough area, and then have two weeks off duty to progress their visits and assessments.

The Assessment Teams in Peterborough are fast paced, lively and interesting and would ideally suit Social Workers who are proactive and adaptable, and who have a passion for ensuring that Children and Families in our area receive a positive and timely first experience of our service. The Teams complete Section 17 Child and Family Assessments and carry out S47 investigations, with cases transferring at the second Child in Need meeting or Child Protection Conference. There are also some urgent court cases, and the assessment service are responsible for the initial court application, statement and care plans, with the case transferring at the first hearing to the longer-term team. The work is immensely rich and varied day to day and allows for a high level of multi-agency working often to tight timelines.

Being a Senior Practitioner entails having a reduced caseload, deputising for the team manager, and providing supervision to non-qualified practitioners and Newly Qualified Social Workers.

The successful candidate will have:

• A degree in social care with significant demonstrable post qualification experience and current SWE registration.
• An understanding of the legislative and regulatory regime of multi-agency statutory children’s services.
• Knowledge of how to recognise political context of social care and respond appropriately at supervisory level.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Leadership and supervisor experience within a relevant service context.
• Experience of leading change within an organisation.
• High motivation, energy, and personal drive. Resilient and demonstrating highly developed emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
• The ability to work to a budget successfully in a demanding public arena

This role is part time, 18.5 hours.

This is a rolling advert and applications will be reviewed frequently, so please don't wait for the closing date to apply. We promise that candidates will be progressed shortly after their application is received. So please don't hesitate, we want to speak to you today.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Peterborough and want our workforce to reflect this diversity, which we believe is beneficial for our employees, the organisation, and the communities we serve.