Senior Practitioner – Family Help

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 is continuing its improvement journey through sustained investment in children's services, creating a supportive environment where experienced practitioners can influence practice, mentor colleagues, and achieve positive outcomes for children and families. With stable leadership, manageable caseloads, and a strong commitment to professional development, this is an excellent opportunity to take the next step in your social work career.

About the Role

As a Senior Practitioner within the Family Help Service, you'll play a key leadership role within the team, managing complex cases while providing guidance, support, and professional oversight to less experienced social workers.

You'll work with children and families requiring support through Child in Need, Child Protection, and pre-proceedings processes, ensuring timely interventions and robust planning. Alongside your casework responsibilities, you'll support quality assurance, contribute to practice development, and help drive high standards across the service.

This role is ideal for an experienced social worker who is passionate about relationship-based practice and developing others within a supportive team environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a complex caseload involving Child in Need, Child Protection, and pre-proceedings work.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and informal supervision to social workers within the team.
• Support practice development and contribute to quality assurance activities.
• Complete high-quality assessments, plans, and court reports where required.
• Chair professional meetings and support multi-agency planning.
• Promote effective safeguarding practice and risk management.
• Work collaboratively with families and partner agencies to achieve sustainable change.
• Support managers with service development and performance improvement initiatives.

Practice Model

Herefordshire Council operates under the Family Safeguarding Model, placing strong emphasis on restorative, strengths-based practice and collaborative working with families.

Senior Practitioners play a key role in embedding Motivational Interviewing, reflective supervision, and relationship-based approaches across the service. By supporting both families and colleagues, you'll help create a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Social Work degree or equivalent qualification.
• Social Work England registration.
• Significant post-qualifying experience within children's social care.
• Strong knowledge of Child Protection, Child in Need, and court work processes.
• Experience supporting, mentoring, or supervising practitioners.
• Excellent assessment, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage complex cases and competing priorities effectively.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• 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 into management roles.
• Flexible working including flexi-time, hybrid working, job share, and part-time 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.