Senior Practitioner - Kinship Assessment Team

Senior Practitioner - Kinship Assessment Team

Permanent, Full Time

£45,217 to £54,395 Per Annum

Location: Countywide

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 22nd January 2025

The Role

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda - one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We're immensely proud of our flexible working options.

The Opportunity

The Kinship Assessment Team (previously Special Guardianship Order (SGO) and Connected Person's Assessment Team) was created in 2019 and has expanded to meet the demand across the County. We are seeking an experienced, resilient, self-motivated, and creative Senior Practitioner to join the Kinship Assessment Team. In this fast-paced role you will assess and support potential Kinship (SGO/Connected Persons) carers who have come forward for assessment through the Public Law process, or by the Private Law route and want to offer long-term care for children who are connected to them. The team aims to undertake robust, analytical, and evidence-based assessments which focus on the trauma children have experienced and how the proposed carer/special guardian will provide long term care for that child/ren. These assessments are prepared for the Court and/or fostering panel and therefore you will be required at times to give evidence in Court or to present your assessment to Essex Fostering panel.

From speaking to Special Guardians and Kinship Carers, we know that it is essential for them to be fully prepared and informed to make the right decisions going forward. As a result, we provide preparation training days regularly to ensure that we give people the opportunity to learn and ask questions, and it is part of the Senior Practitioners role to support the delivery of this training.

The Experience You Will Bring

• A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or masters in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with social work England as a registered social worker.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
• Significant experience of social work, demonstrating a comprehensive and up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulation and guidance.
• Experience of undertaking complex, in-depth, evidenced based and analytical assessments, preferably of alternative carers, i.e within a Kinship, Fostering, Adoption or similar area of practice.
• Experience of mentoring both Social Work students and newly qualified and experienced Social Work staff, being a subject matter expert in professional social work practice.
• Experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members and/or carers and other multi-agency professionals.
• Developing strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives and offer a supportive framework for children, young people and families.
• In depth understanding of delivery of value for money interventions balanced against need.
  Proven track record of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention.
• Experience of Court work is desirable.

To read more about us please visit:Children & Families

Please take a look at our 'No Magic' Children & Families video

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England's oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest - Basildon and Harlow - are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email #####

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