Senior Social Work Practitioner

3-Month Contract with a local authority Umbrella Rate: £33.30 per hour umbrella Summary We are seeking a Senior Social Work Practitioner to support children to remain safely within their family networks. You will play a key role in achieving permanency for children through timely, high-quality assessments and providing strong relationship-based practice and supervision to kinship carers.

Responsibilities

Complete Form K assessments to assess connected persons as foster carers and undertake viability assessments for early permanence planning. Carry out SGO (Special Guardianship Order) assessments, including developing support plans and preparing court reports. Provide regular supervision, guidance, and support to approved kinship foster carers.

Support carers in managing placement challenges, contact arrangements, and transitions to permanence. Work closely with children’s social workers and multi-agency partners to ensure coordinated, evidence-based care planning within statutory timescales. Experience Minimum of 3 years Post Qualifying Experience (PQE) in direct employment with a Local Authority in England (Child & Family context).

Extensive experience in Kinship/connected persons fostering (Form K), SGO assessments, and viability assessments. Proven experience in supporting and supervising foster carers, managing risk, safeguarding, and navigating complex family dynamics.

Qualifications

Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England. Strong analytical and report-writing skills suitable for court and panel submissions. Must comply with DfE statutory guidance for agency Social Workers (including Children's DfE Form, 4-week notice period, and 2 practice-based references). Additional Information Working hours: 37 hours per week.

Enhanced DBS required Driver's license required (must be able to visit families) We work on a biweekly payment schedule. This is a Hybrid role (1 day on-site every two weeks, plus family visits and WFH) The role is based in Shropshire.