As an Advanced Practitioner in Children and Families, you will thrive on working restoratively with children and families by building strong relationships to inspire positive change and sustainable outcomes.

We provide comprehensive support and training packages for social workers at all levels with clear career progression opportunities. Our established in-house management team offers continuous support, guidance and reflective supervision allowing you to grow and develop through your career.

We are proud to be part of Leeds children’s services, rated by Ofsted as outstanding, and to be an award-winning employer, recognised as best employer in the Social Worker of the Year Awards 2019.

We are committed to the ambition of Child Friendly Leeds. We want Leeds to be a city where all children are safe, happy and healthy, do well at school, fulfil their potential and grow up to be active citizens with voice and influence. We aim to improve outcomes for all our children and want to close the gap facing children and young people from vulnerable and deprived backgrounds.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you 

As an Advanced Practitioner you will thrive on tackling intricate cases, drawing on your extensive knowledge and expertise to address complex challenges. You’ll hold an appropriate professional qualification (degree, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent) and must be registered with Social Work England on commencement in post.

In addition to your professional qualification and registration you will have completed Practice Educator Level 1 or 2 or be willing to work towards this. 

Our Advanced Practitioners will bring to the role:

• extensive experience in a child protection setting.
• ability to mentor, coach and advise newly qualified and less experienced social work staff.
• strong communication and collaboration skills to build productive working relationships in a multi-agency environment.
• ability to engage individuals, families and carers and use their views to inform complex assessments, plans and interventions.
• extensive and up-to-date knowledge of relevant trends, policies, regulation and safeguarding.

About the role 

As an Advanced Practitioner in Children and Families, you will be integral to a close-knit, supportive team which has your professional and personal wellbeing at heart. We offer an in-depth programme of continuing professional development alongside a robust supervision and appraisal framework.

Our Advanced Practitioners manage a complex caseload, taking a child-focused approach and underpinned by our culture of restorative practice and family decision making including family group conferencing. We work closely with local health and third sector partners, and you will develop and maintain these strong links in your role.

You will provide a high quality comprehensive social work service while supporting and mentoring less senior colleagues. 

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please apply for this job online. Visit jobs.leeds.gov.uk via the Apply button below to complete the online application form.

Interviews will be held 6th and 7th June 2024.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. 

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please call the recruitment team on 0113 378 5165, who will be able to put you in touch with a relevant manager.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s barred list will be carried out on preferred candidates.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is an Inclusive employer, ranked 70 on the Stonewall top 100 employers 2023 list. We are also an Age friendly employer, a Mindful employer and a Disability Confident leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period. 

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK  - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.