Children's Senior Practitioner
Children, Education & Families Services | Cambridgeshire County Council
Pay Rate: £46,956 - £50,157 plus a retention payment scheme
Location: Cambridgeshire | Full-Time | Permanent
The role is hybrid with a mix of home and office working (3-4 days in the office). The office base is Fawcett House in Trumpington, Cambridge. However, please note that as part of the Council's ongoing Asset Review, the Fawcett House office base may change during 2026. Teams currently located at Fawcett House may be relocated to an alternative site within the County, which in most cases will be in close proximity to the current location.
Relocation package available Sponsorship swap available
Help Shape Better Futures for Children and Families
At Cambridgeshire County Council, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. Our Children's Services are built around supporting children, young people and families to achieve positive and lasting outcomes through high-quality, relationship-based social work practice.
We are looking for an experienced and motivated Senior Practitioner to join our Children, Education and Families Service. This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished Social Worker who is passionate about safeguarding, committed to excellence, and ready to take on a key leadership role within a supportive and forward-thinking local authority.
As a Senior Practitioner, you will manage a complex caseload while providing professional leadership, mentoring and practice support to colleagues. You will play a vital role in promoting best practice, driving performance and ensuring children and families receive the highest standard of service.
About the Role
Working within Cambridgeshire's legislative and procedural framework, you will hold responsibility for complex assessments, intervention planning and safeguarding activity involving children, young people and families with significant and often challenging needs.
You will act as a role model for outstanding social work practice, supporting colleagues through coaching, mentoring and supervision while helping to embed a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.
You will also contribute to service development, support workforce growth and deputise for Team Managers when required.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Practice Excellence
- Manage a highly complex caseload involving safeguarding, child protection, court proceedings and statutory intervention.
- Provide professional leadership and specialist advice on complex cases and risk management.
- Support and develop Social Workers and Child Practitioners through mentoring, coaching and practice education.
- Act as a Practice Lead within the team and contribute to workforce development and induction.
- Deputise for the Team Manager where required.
Safeguarding & Risk Management
- Lead on complex assessments, investigations and safeguarding interventions.
- Analyse risk and protective factors to ensure effective decision-making and planning.
- Promote a culture of professional curiosity, safety and accountability.
- Support practitioners in managing risk and achieving positive outcomes for children and families.
Partnership Working
- Build effective relationships with children, families and carers.
- Work collaboratively with schools, health services, police, legal representatives and partner agencies.
- Chair and contribute to professional meetings, reviews and multi-agency forums.
- Represent the service in court and provide high-quality written and verbal evidence.
Quality & Performance
- Ensure work is completed within statutory timescales and service standards.
- Maintain accurate case recording and management oversight.
- Contribute to service improvement initiatives and performance objectives.
- Support quality assurance processes and the delivery of outstanding practice.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced Children's Social Worker with a strong track record of managing complexity and achieving positive outcomes for vulnerable children and families.
Essential Requirements
✔ Recognised Social Work qualification (Degree, Master's, Postgraduate Diploma or approved fast-track programme)
✔ Current Social Work England registration
✔ Significant post-qualification experience within Children's Social Care
✔ Extensive experience of:
- Child Protection
- Children in Need
- Safeguarding
- Court Work
- Risk Assessment
- Complex Case Management
✔ Strong working knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and social work best practice
✔ Ability to produce analytical assessments, reports and court statements of an exceptionally high standard
✔ Experience of supporting, coaching and developing colleagues
✔ Excellent communication, relationship-building and decision-making skills
✔ Full UK Driving Licence and willingness to travel across Cambridgeshire
Desirable Requirements
- Practice Educator Qualification (or willingness to achieve this within 12 months)
- Relevant post-qualifying specialist training
- Experience supervising practitioners and supporting service development initiatives
Why Join Cambridgeshire County Council?
At Cambridgeshire, our vision is to create a greener, fairer and more caring county. We recognise that our practitioners are our greatest asset and are committed to providing the support, development and opportunities needed to help you succeed.
You will join a service that:
- Places children and families at the centre of everything it does.
- Invests heavily in learning, development and progression.
- Promotes collaborative and relationship-based practice.
- Encourages innovation and professional autonomy.
- Values diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity.
Apply Today
If you are an experienced Social Worker looking for the next step in your career and want to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families, we would love to hear from you.
Join Cambridgeshire County Council and help create brighter futures through exceptional social work practice.
