About us

Job Title: Senior Practitioner Duty Team

Grade: Grade 9

It’s an exciting time to be joining Children Social Care in Warrington, as we have been chosen as a Pathfinder authority for the Families First for Children reforms.  Our senior practitioners works alongside our Team Managers playing a key role in ensuring the families we work with are effectively supported.

So if you want to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people with relationship based practice at the heart of everything we do and develop great relationships, then come and join us in Warrington where we are passionate about our work with children and families.  We have high aspirations for our children and welcome those who share our ambition.

The role

Our senior practitioners also play a crucial role in implementing our practice model and work closely with our Social Workers and Team Managers in developing outstanding social work practice across the teams.

As a senior practitioner in the Duty Team you will have the opportunity to develop your skills further and develop management skills as part of your own career development journey, such as delivering development sessions and supervision of Social Workers undertaking their ASYE.

What's needed?

We are looking for a committed senior practitioner who feels confident in making decisions to support, safeguard and protect children, who has a commitment to learn and who is passionate about supporting and developing staff. You may have significant direct experience of working within a duty team and/or a willingness and the ability to learn how best to support children and families in this area of work.

Here in Warrington we are on our own journey and are proud to be graded Good in all areas in our 2024 Ofsted inspection. It says;-

“Social workers told inspectors that they enjoy working in Warrington. They feel valued and benefit from a culture of openness and learning. Workers feel well supported by managers, with supervision taking place regularly, which is mostly reflective and focuses on children. Senior leaders are extremely visible and approachable, listening to staff views. There is a strong focus on and a commitment to workforce development. Warrington has a practice framework and culture which is based on shared values. Social workers are supported to access a wide range of appropriate training opportunities, reinforcing and embedding the learning culture. These opportunities support social workers to develop new skills, enabling them to work very effectively with children and families, along with supporting their professional development”

We have a strong vision for social work practice in Warrington and are developing a new approach to social work. We are currently embedding a relationship based practice model that has systemic practice at its core. We are working alongside the Centre for Systemic Social Work, who are providing a comprehensive training programme to social workers and managers across our teams.

In Warrington we want all children and families to benefit from high quality and purposeful relationships with professionals. We believe this will help create the best opportunities for people to change and reach their full potential. We also believe one of the most effective way to improve the outcomes for children and families is through providing our social workers with the best conditions in which they can thrive.

We are based in Time Square, this is a great work space with hubs and pods in order to provide a great environment to work, furthermore, with cafes and restaurants on the doorstep.

Benefits

As well as a competitive salary, working for us means you get:
 

• 26 days annual holiday - raising to 31 after 5 years of service (pro-rata)
• Access to our attractive and competitive benefits package
• Access to our Health & Wellbeing Programme
• Essential car allowance

Key Dates & Further Information

For more information about our new approach to social work, and the wider offer to staff in Warrington then please visit our website

For an informal confidential discussion please contact Karen Garner – kgarner@warrington.gov.uk

DBS clearance is required.

The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

DBS clearance is required.

Warrington Borough Council is a Disability Confident employer