CSW - Senior Practitioner - MASH/R&A/CP/FP PP1

The Senior Practitioner will provide advanced social work practice within the Families First; Family Help Service, holding a reduced caseload comprising the most complex children and families requiring statutory intervention. The post holder will provide professional leadership, expert safeguarding advice and practice oversight, ensuring high-quality assessments, planning and interventions that improve outcomes for children.

Working within the Families First model, the Senior Practitioner will lead on identification of step-up an step down cases with Child in Need, Child Protection, Public Law Outline (PLO), care proceedings and permanence planning. They will champion Signs of Safety, Trauma-Informed Practice and Motivational Interviewing, providing mentoring, coaching, pod supervision and reflective support to practitioners while promoting evidence-informed, relationship-based practice.

The Senior Practitioner will support the Team Manager in quality assurance, service improvement, workforce development, pod supervision and complex decision-making, exercising a high level of professional autonomy while ensuring statutory responsibilities and safeguarding duties are fulfilled.

To hold and manage a caseload of the most complex children and families, including Child in Need, Child Protection, Public Law Outline (PLO), pre-proceedings, care proceedings and permanence cases. To provide advanced safeguarding oversight, professional analysis and risk management in complex cases where children may be at risk of significant harm. To undertake complex assessments, including parenting assessments, risk assessments, viability assessments and permanence assessments, ensuring analysis is evidence-based, child-centred and informed by statutory guidance. To prepare high-quality assessments, reports, statements and evidence for court, and to present professional evidence confidently within legal proceedings. To lead complex multi-agency meetings, including, core groups, Child in Need meetings, planning meetings and family network meetings where delegated. To coordinate and lead multi-agency plans and interventions, ensuring partners are clear about roles, responsibilities, timescales and safeguarding actions. To provide expert advice, case consultation and professional challenge to Social Workers, Newly Qualified Social Workers, students and other practitioners in relation to complex safeguarding, risk, thresholds and planning. To lead on pod supervision, facilitating regular reflective and case-focused supervision within the pod to support effective risk management, planning, accountability and consistent high-quality practice. To use pod supervision to review complex cases, strengthen professional analysis, monitor progress against plans, promote shared learning and ensure timely escalation of safeguarding concerns. To lead monthly reflective practice groups and multidisciplinary supervision sessions with colleagues from Children’s Social Care, Health, Education, CAMHS, Police, Early Help and voluntary sector partners, promoting professional curiosity, critical reflection and shared learning. To mentor, coach and model excellent practice for Social Workers, ASYE practitioners, students and agency staff through joint visits, reflective case discussions, observation, feedback and practice development. To embed the Signs of Safety practice model, Trauma-Informed Practice and Motivational Interviewing across assessment, planning, intervention and review. To ensure the voice, wishes and feelings of children are central to assessment, planning, intervention and decision-making. To work respectfully and professionally with children, families and networks, recognizing family strengths, safety networks and community resources wherever possible. To work effectively with families experiencing complex challenges including neglect, domestic abuse, exploitation, parental mental ill health, substance misuse, disability, poverty, discrimination, immigration issues and other safeguarding concerns. To apply relevant legislation, statutory guidance, social work theory, research and local safeguarding procedures to practice and decision-making. To maintain accurate, timely and high-quality case records, plans, assessments, reports and management oversight notes in accordance with statutory requirements and professional standards. To promote anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive and culturally competent practice across the pod and wider service. To undertake any other duties commensurate with the Senior Practitioner role and required to support the effective delivery of Family Help, Child Protection and safeguarding services.  To work within the Families First Family Help model, providing timely, strengths-based and outcome-focused interventions to children, young people and their families to prevent escalation of need and improve family resilience. To undertake comprehensive Family Help Assessments within agreed timescales, identifying strengths, risks, needs and protective factors, and determining whether families require short-, medium- or long-term intervention. To develop, coordinate and review outcome-focused Family Help Plans, ensuring interventions are tailored to the needs of the child and family and promote sustainable change. To work collaboratively with children and families in a respectful and professional manner, ensuring the voice of the child remains central to all assessments, planning and decision-making. To undertake regular visits and direct work with children, young people and families, using creative and evidence-informed approaches to understand their experiences, ascertain the child's wishes and feelings, and assess progress against agreed outcomes.  To identify and build upon family strengths, support networks and community resources, promoting family-led solutions and ensuring wider family members are involved in planning wherever appropriate. To support families to identify their own goals, increase motivation for change and sustain positive outcomes through relationship-based and restorative practice.