Senior Practitioner

£46,193 - £49,779
Almondbank House, Perth

We have a vacancy for a Senior Practitioner in a busy adoption team. The team covers the whole of the Perth and Kinross Council Area.

Our team has five main responsibilities. These are:

• To recruit, prepare, assess and support adoptive parents and offer adoption support.
• To family find, progress the legal route and support children who require permanent substitute care through adoption.
• To provide a post adoption counselling service for adults who are interested in tracing their birth families and children.
• To co-ordinate post adoption birth family contact (indirect and direct).
• To co-ordinate and support the management of the Fostering and Permanence Panel.

The Senior Practitioner deputises for the Team Leader as necessary. You will also be the co-ordinator for the Fostering & Permanence Panel.

You will respond to enquiries from prospective adoptive parents, undertake initial home visits and facilitate Preparing to Adopt Groups (usually twice a year).

The Senior Practitioner co-ordinates and provides adoption counselling and is the co-ordinator for post adoption contact arrangements.

You may also undertake assessments of prospective adopters and be involved in the provision of adoption support. As Senior Practitioner you will also be responsible, along with the Team Leader, for the improvement agenda and team plans.

Perth & Kinross Council is currently offering a hybrid working model, offering access to office working on some days/when required, on a temporary basis, with longer term options becoming available in the future. We are committed to being a more inclusive employer - to ensure we can consider any reasonable adjustments, please either contact the recruiting manager to discuss any individual circumstances, discuss at interview or, if you prefer, after any conditional offer is made.

The Individual

You must have a recognised qualification in Social Work.

You will have post qualifying experience of adoption/fostering work.

You will be well organised, able to prioritise and manage competing demands.

The role will also require you to be compassionate, confident and clear in your communication.

You will be able to demonstrate high standards in written work and have a clear understanding of the needs of vulnerable children and families.

You will need to be flexible, supportive and approachable.

You will have a commitment to continued professional development.

You must be registered as a social worker with the SSSC.

You must have a valid driving licence as this post requires you to travel to a variety of locations across Perth and Kinross.

If you would like any more information regarding this vacancy, please contact Claire Cunningham, Team Leader on 01738 472260 or at CMCunningham@pkc.gov.uk

When completing your application for this post, please ensure that you provide contact details (including e-mail addresses) for two referees. One should be your current or most recent employer.

Please APPLY ONLINE. Facilities are available at all public libraries in Perth and Kinross. If you have a disability and require reasonable adjustments, please call 01738 475555 to discuss.

As part of our safer recruitment measures, any offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of mandatory checks including eligibility to work in the UK, Disclosure Scotland or PVG, qualifications, references, and fitness to undertake the post. This may also include an Overseas Criminal Records Check if you have spent time living overseas.

A healthy work life balance is important to Perth & Kinross Council and we provide supportive management and flexible working arrangements to help you achieve a healthy work life balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.

Some jobs may have been traditionally carried out predominately by one gender, but we would encourage you to apply if you meet the requirements, irrespective of your gender.

Perth & Kinross Council welcomes applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.

At PKC our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Offer. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours. Find out more about PKC and you could soon be joining our team!