Salary up to £54,533 per annum

Basic salary: £42,917-£49,133 + Market Supplement of £5,400*

Grade F

Permanent Contract

37 Hours per Week

Thurrock is located between East London and Essex, easily accessible by road, rail and even the Thames. We have a diverse community of families that are growing and Thurrock Council offers services to meet their needs. Our Children’s Social Care Service is an established team that is supporting the community. 

In Thurrock, we have the ambition and drive to make a positive difference to the lives of those most in need.  We pride ourselves on having a diverse workforce which reflects our community. Our social work teams are enthusiastic, resilient, keen to learn, have high aspirations, and embrace innovative practice. 

Thurrock Children's Services is rated Good by Ofsted, offers a great working environment with a stable management team and caseloads are managed so time is focused on families. We are developing our services and roles available for Social Workers who are ready to be part of the team. 

Our Senior Practitioners are skilled in their role, they support their Team members and Team Managers with the work of the team. in return our Senior Practitioners are supported with appropriate caseloads and are also offered development opportunities to become leads in their teams in specialist areas of work.

To be appointed you will need to demonstrate 2 years post qualifying experience in children’s social care, your expertise and commitment to achieving the best for children.

We welcome applications from experienced Social Workers looking to step up to a senior role or from experienced Senior Practitioners looking to move into a new area of work.

We have opportunities across the service and an excellent reward and support package.

You must be Social Work qualified, be registered with Social Work England and be able to work in the UK. Please note at this time we are unable to support applicants that will need sponsorship.

Our Social Work teams are:

• Prevention and support services 
• Children and Family Assessments Team
• Family Support Team
• Children With Disabilities 
• Adolescent Service 
• Children Looked After 
• Fostering & Adoption  

Please note we may not have vacancies in all of these teams when you apply – please state if you have a preferred team within your application.

What We Offer:

• Excellent remuneration package inclusive of basic salary and market supplement*
• Generous annual leave entitlement – 25 days rising to 30 after 5 years’ service
• Career average pension scheme
• Relocation packages
• Salary sacrifice schemes such as childcare vouchers and cycle to work schemes
• Flexible working to enable work life balance.
• maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave above the statutory minimum
• Reflective supervision and management support
• 24-hour health advice and support
• Excellent training opportunities and an established CPD programme
• Funded DBS
• Mileage 45p per mile

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level is required for this role.

*Market Supplements are subject to an annual review process

Advert Closing Date: 12th May 2024

Interview Date: To be confirmed.

Unless a valid reason for an alternative arrangement is provided, all interviews will be conducted in person.

For a detailed discussion about your area of interest please contact James Bennett - JABennett@thurrock.gov.uk 

To view the Job Profile and Person Specification please follow the link below:

JobProfile-Senior-Practitioner-Childrens-Services.pdf

Why Thurrock?

Working at Thurrock Council gives you the opportunity to join an organisation that is changing at pace, one where you can make a real difference to the lives of the people we serve.

Thurrock Council is moving towards a new community leadership approach which involves linking with local partners and communities as we shape our improvement for the years ahead.

This is an exciting time to join us, to shape the future success of our changing organisation and to have a positive influence on our borough. 

Our location

Thurrock is located on the north bank of the river Thames. Our urban centres are a vibrant mix of established towns and new young communities, with a diverse and growing population of around 160,000 residents.

We are an emerging cultural and arts centre, home to the production centre for the Royal Opera House and the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills. We have excellent retail and leisure opportunities, including Lakeside Shopping Centre, country parks, forests, and marshes.

Thurrock is just half an hour journey away from the centre of London by train and well connected by road.

Staff benefits

We offer lots of staff benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement and hybrid working. We champion flexible working and job share applications are welcome.

Further information can be found here Employment benefits | Working for the council | Thurrock Council 

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Thurrock Council is committed to equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled people will be offered an interview where they meet all essential criteria on the person specification.

We serve a diverse community where people are different yet equal. Diversity underpins everything we do.

For further information about Thurrock Council please visit our website: Thurrock Council