Senior Practitioner - Private Fostering

About the role

Senior Practitioner - Private Fostering

Permanent, Part Time

£48,205 to £57,988 per annum (full time equivalent)

Location: Countywide

Please note this is a part time role working 22.2 hours per week, the pro rata salary will be £28,923 to £34,793 per annum.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It’s an exciting time to join us having received our 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

In Essex County Council we are “Serious about Social Work”. Having won the Best Social Work Employer of the Year Award 2018 and been awarded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted this is an exciting time to join us. As if that wasn’t enough, Essex has also been announced as a Partner in Practice by the Department of Education, and the Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA) is the only Local Authority team in the country to be accredited by BASW as a CPD provider. We have invested in our workforce and created a positive environment for our social workers to make a difference and achieve change for our most vulnerable children and families through direct relationship-based social work practice.

We have supported our staff to have an understanding of systemic theoretical framework and models underpinning our interventions; to have access to the right tools, equipment and resources; and also the right supervision, training and learning opportunities they need to be strong practitioners.

Private Fostering

Private Fostering is when a child/young person under 16 (18 if disabled) lives with someone who is not a close relative for more than 28 days. This is a private arrangement between a parent and another adult (private foster carer).

As Senior Practitioner, you will play a central part in maintaining strong multi‑agency relationships, promoting awareness of private fostering responsibilities, and ensuring that children living in private arrangements receive safe, consistent and well‑monitored care.

The Private Fostering Team offers a countywide service and is based in County Hall Chelmsford.

The Role

Provide professional oversight of assessments and visits completed by the team, ensuring safeguarding checks, risk analysis and care standards meet statutory requirements.
Hold a more complex caseload and take a lead role in decision‑making to ensure every privately fostered child is safeguarded and well supported.
Offer expert guidance, mentoring and coaching to social workers, contributing to their development and promoting high‑quality practice.
Contribute to quality assurance activity and support the Team Manager in driving good practice, service development and continuous improvement.

Accountabilities

Responsible for providing a source of expert advice and professional supervision for social workers and contributing to the development of practice standards.
Accountable for assessment of complex social care needs and development of support for vulnerable people, children and families.
Accountable for working within the statutory legal framework, policy and guidance and determining when the threshold for statutory intervention has been reached.
Responsible for managing a complex caseload, maintaining accurate and timely data, reports and presentations as required.
Participates in a range of case conferences, court attendance, meetings and statutory reviews, pro-actively taking the lead when a social care perspective is required.
Accountable for conducting assessments and plan responses to safeguard and promote a child’s welfare including appropriate intervention as determined by need.
Builds strong effective working relationships across the Council, with partners and members of voluntary agencies to help people get the best start in life and age well.
Delivers a high level of expertise in particular areas of practice and leads on those areas, contributing to the development.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or Masters in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a registered social worker
Evidence of continuing professional development, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements
Significant experience of social work, demonstrating a comprehensive and up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulation and guidance.
Experience of mentoring both Social Work students and newly qualified and experienced Social Work staff, being a subject matter expert in professional social work practice.
Experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members and/or carers and other multi-agency professionals.
Developing strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives and offer a supportive framework for children, young people and families.
In depth understanding of delivery of value for money interventions balanced against need
Proven track record of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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Senior Practitioner – Private Fostering