Advanced Practitioner – Assessment & Support Team

Advanced Practitioner – Assessment & Support Team

Herefordshire Council
Salary: £45,777 - £50,091 per annum
Plus: £10,000 Welcome Payment & £4,000 Retention Payment
Contract: Permanent | Full-time | Hybrid working available

Herefordshire Council continues to drive significant improvement across Children’s Services, supported by strong leadership, increased investment, and a clear commitment to workforce stability. The Assessment & Support Service is central to this progress, offering a highly supportive environment where experienced practitioners can have real impact from day one.

About the Role

As an Advanced Practitioner in the Assessment & Support Team, you will play a pivotal role in leading high-quality front-door practice. You’ll take on complex assessments, provide professional oversight to colleagues, and contribute to service development, ensuring that children receive timely and effective early intervention and safeguarding responses.

This position requires a confident practitioner skilled in decision-making, relationship building, and reflective practice. You’ll work closely with the Team Manager to model best practice and support consistency across the service.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead on complex Section 47 and Section 17 assessments, offering clear analysis and professional recommendations.
  • Support colleagues through reflective guidance and day-to-day practice advice.
  • Contribute to threshold decisions, safety planning, and multi-agency meetings.
  • Quality-assure assessments, plans, and reports to ensure high standards.
  • Work collaboratively with partner agencies to secure safe and coordinated responses for children.
  • Maintain accurate, timely casework records on the MOSAIC system.

Practice Model

Herefordshire delivers children’s services through the Family Safeguarding Model, placing strong emphasis on restorative, strengths-based practice. Assessment & Support teams work closely with embedded adult specialists — domestic abuse, substance misuse, and mental health workers — enabling holistic interventions from the first point of contact.

Advanced Practitioners take a key role in embedding Motivational Interviewing, Restorative Practice, and reflective decision-making, ensuring families are understood, supported, and empowered to create positive change.

Requirements

  • Social Work degree or equivalent qualification.
  • Social Work England registration.
  • Extensive experience in assessment, safeguarding, and complex casework.
  • Evidence of strong analytical, decision-making, and leadership capability.
  • Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
  • Pool cars available for work travel.
  • Sponsorship available for candidates with 2+ years UK experience.

Benefits

  • £10,000 Welcome Payment & £4,000 Retention Payment.
  • Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
  • Protected professional development time and training budget.
  • Clear progression pathways, including routes into management.
  • Flexible working: flexi-time, job share, part-time hours, and hybrid options.
  • 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
  • Payment of Social Work England registration fees.
  • “Pick Your Perks” benefits portal offering discounts on retail, health, leisure and travel.
  • 31 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase up to 10 additional days.

Interested?

Contact Josh Da Costa at Sheldon Phillips on 01635 226350 or 07513 834554, or email jdacosta@sheldon-phillips.com to discuss this role in more detail.

Referral Bonus: Know someone perfect for the role? We offer up to £500 for successful referrals.