Role: Practice Development Lead

Location: Medway

Team: Childrens Team

Pay: Up to £52,959

Contract: Permanent/ Full-time

About Us
Medway’s Children’s Services is committed to delivering excellent social work practice and improving outcomes for children, young people, and families. We are seeking a dedicated and skilled Practice Development Lead to join our Children’s Team. In this key role, you will drive best practice, support social work development, and contribute to the continuous improvement of our service.

Role Overview
As a Practice Development Lead, you will be responsible for promoting high standards of social work practice across the Children’s Team. You will provide professional development, training, and mentoring for social workers, helping them to enhance their skills and deliver high-quality services to children and families. This is a leadership role where you will work closely with senior managers and practitioners to embed evidence-based practice and ensure that our social workers are fully equipped to meet the needs of our community.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on the development and implementation of best practice models within the Children’s Team, ensuring they are aligned with statutory requirements and organisational goals.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and supervision to social workers, supporting them in their professional development and ensuring high standards of practice.
• Deliver training, workshops, and reflective practice sessions to enhance the knowledge and skills of the social work team.
• Work collaboratively with team managers and senior leaders to identify areas for improvement and ensure consistency in practice across the service.
• Stay up-to-date with current research, legislation, and best practice developments in children’s social care, sharing this knowledge with the team.
• Support the quality assurance process by contributing to case audits, service evaluations, and inspections, ensuring continuous improvement in service delivery.
• Act as a key point of contact for complex cases, providing expert guidance and advice to social workers and managers.
• Foster a culture of learning and development within the service, encouraging reflective practice and professional growth.

Requirements

• Degree in Social Work (or equivalent) and Social Work England registration.
• Extensive post-qualification experience in children’s social care, including experience in leadership or practice development roles.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, policies, and procedures, including safeguarding, child protection, and looked-after children.
• Proven ability to mentor and coach social workers, with a passion for developing others and promoting best practice.
• Excellent communication, organisational, and leadership skills.
• Experience in delivering training and development programmes for social work teams.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of up to £52,959.
• £7,000 market premia to boost your overall earnings.
• £3,000 annual retention payment after 1 year’s service.
• Opportunities for career progression and professional development.
• Supportive working environment with access to regular supervision and peer support.
• Flexible working options to promote work-life balance.

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Interested in learning more about the Practice Development Lead role in Medway? Contact Holly Chupka at 01635 226350.

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