The Advanced Practitioner will play a pivotal role in the leadership, development and oversight of the Post Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Support Service. The postholder will contribute to the strategic growth of the service, with plans to extend provision to families subject to Child Arrangements Orders (CAO) as the service develops. 

The role will ensure that children and families support that promotes permanence, stability and consistently positive outcomes. As part of the continued expansion of the Kinship Service, the Advanced Practitioner will provide professional leadership and oversight within the team, supporting the delivery of high quality assessments and interventions for children who are cared for within their wider family networks. This is a significant opportunity to contribute to service design, innovation and continuous improvement, at a time of growth and development. 

The service works with a diverse range of kinship arrangements, including Special Guardianship Orders, Child Arrangements Orders and private fostering arrangements. The Advanced Practitioner will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting kinship families, recognising both the complexities and strengths within these arrangements, and promoting a consistent, strengths based approach across the service. 

The AP will maintain a reduced caseload of kinship assessments, ensuring continued direct practice alongside their leadership responsibilities. In addition, they will have responsibility for the Post SGO Support Team, including providing reflective supervision, quality assurance and practice guidance to staff. This will include driving high standards of practice and supporting professional development. 

A key aspect of the role will be to identify and develop creative and responsive approaches to service delivery, ensuring that the current offer evolves to meet the needs of all kinship families. The Advanced Practitioner will play a central role in shaping the future direction of the service. They will also be responsible for the supervision and allocation of work to family support workers in the team 

The role requires a practitioner with strong leadership capability, sound professional judgement and a clear commitment to achieving permanence and stability for children within their family networks.

 Visit our dedicated webpage to hear from our social workers, our Executive Director, and learn more about the role and Children’s Services: