Practice Supervisor

BCFT Practice Supervisor (PSPSCT1223)

Bradford Children and Families Trust

Children’s Social Work Service

PROBLEM SOLVING COURT TEAM

Practice Supervisor 

Band/Grade: PO4 £43,421 - £46,464

Base:  The post will support all four localities across Bradford with bases in each area

2 x 37 hours per week 

At Bradford Children and Families Trust, we want every child to have the best possible start in life and achieve their potential. To achieve that vision, we are transforming our Children’s Services and the way we work with children and families so that children and families are helped and supported to make changes at the earliest point to enable them to stay together and keep children safe wherever possible.

Our Problem-Solving Court Team has been redesigned and is looking for TWO Practice Supervisors to work alongside TWO specialist community resource workers who will build relationships with parents to work alongside them with commitment, kindness, emotional engagement and respect at the most difficult time of their lives.

About the role

The West Yorkshire Problem Solving Court (WYPSC) is an innovative approach to assessing and supporting parents during care proceedings. The Problem-Solving approach is based on a model of practice where designated judges meet regularly with parents to discuss their progress, this model is known to help parents motivation to overcome their difficulties and break the destructive cycles of behaviour which impact upon the quality of their parenting and the safety of their children.

The Practice Supervisor role will work alongside parents, where children are subject to care proceedings, to co-ordinate and implement support and intervention plans and complete assessments in relation to parents’ ability to overcome the problems identified and reduce the impact on parenting capacity.  You will not be the allocated worker for the child.

This approach to care proceedings can be successful in helping parents to commit to and work alongside key services, such as domestic abuse, mental health and substance misuse services, leading to more children being able to remain in their parents’ care, or to return home at the conclusion of care proceedings. Where we are not able to engage parents and children cannot return home, quicker decisions are made about permanent placements for them, and a greater proportion of parents remain engaged with services. 

Objectives of the Service

·       A higher proportion of children will be reunited with their parents compared to established service delivery methods.

·       Parents can be helped to access and maintain engagement with services for their identified problems.

·       Parents are successful in achieving and maintaining change from their destructive behaviours and lifestyle choices.

·       Parents are successful in addressing related psychosocial difficulties (Improved mental health; reduced exposure to domestic abuse; safer and secure housing; improved family planning; reduced parental criminal activity and violence; engaged in work, training or community activity)

·       Parents are successful in making safer choices and are less likely to follow a pattern of having successive children removed in recurring care proceedings.

 Social Workers within the Problem-Solving Court Team will:

• Be passionate about excellent social work practice and helping and supporting families.
• Hold a DipSW or equivalent qualification and are registered with Social Work England as a qualified social worker.
• Have at least 3 years post qualification social work experience with a minimum of 12 months as an experienced level 3 social worker.
• Will have an excellent working knowledge of relevant safeguarding legislation and care planning regulations, as well as keeping up to date with changes in policy, guidance and research relating to court work and permanence for children.
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to make good decisions based on the information available, ensuring effective relationships with other professionals.
• Be able to provide assessments of parents, their willingness and capacity to engage in therapeutic work, their parenting capacity and, of paramount importance, the safety of their children to the court on a regular basis and work closely with Problem Solving Court colleagues and partners.
• Will have a breadth of experience in working with families within court proceedings, including experience of writing assessments and giving evidence in court.

Please contact Sarah Metcalfe, Service Manager for a confidential discussion.

Email: sarah.metcalfe@bradfordcft.org.uk

Telephone: 07812 490 662

Closing date for applications will be 17th March 2024 

  Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of what we do as a Council and the people we support. We have a number of self-directed Staff Networks (Disability, LGBTQ+, Race Equality, Women’s Voice, Working Carers and Young Persons) which assist in providing a voice and support mechanism to colleagues. 

The RESPECT Allyship Programme is also available to all staff, which offers opportunity to learn more about the diverse communities & groups, and provides additional benefits and resources to its members. This is part of the RESPECT Campaign, which is the Council’s Internal Equalities Vision for staff and its ambition to build a truly inclusive workforce, where everyone can be their true selves at work.

 An enhanced disclosure check with the Disclosure and Barring Service will be undertaken for this post. 

The Code of Practice on the English language requirement for public sector workers, Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, requires that Councils ensure that all candidates applying for customer facing posts must be assessed in order to establish their fluency in English.