Job Title: Senior Practitioner - Adolescent, Child Exploitation & Missing Team Salary: £45,624 - £52,038 per annum (plus a £6,000 annual market supplement*) Grade: F Contract Type: Permanent Working Hours: 37 hours per week If you are looking for something unique and to progress your own knowledge base and skills this is a great role for you. Thurrock Council are seeking to recruit a senior practitioner to join a small supportive team to provide direct support to children and families. This is an opportunity to shape bespoke services for young people on the edge of care. Join us in our mission to build safety, offer intensive support, and make a lasting impact on the lives of young people and their families. About the Role This post will support young people aged 14-17 with duties imposed under different legislation primarily through the Children Act 1989 and associated regulations and guidelines. The post requires an experienced Social Worker who has the skillset to analysis and manage risk and work intensively with young people and their families across CIN, CP and LAC frameworks to reduce risk of familial breakdown and reunify young people with their families. The SW will need to be experienced to enable them to work with complex cases such as young people who are being criminally and/or sexually exploited while working to keep the children with their primary care givers We're looking for someone who has: - Worker with a passion for working with adolescents aged 14-17. - Individuals who understand the complexities faced by young people vulnerable to entering care due to home relationship breakdowns, child exploitation, or outcomes from the youth justice system. DBS Check: A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an Enhanced level with Children's Barred List is required for this role. Benefits of Working with Us - Innovative Approach: Be a part of a team that values both traditionally and alternatively qualified workers, ensuring that support is intensive, creative, and most importantly, led by the young person. - Protected Low Caseloads: Our multi-disciplinary team work collaboratively and intensively, allowing you to build meaningful relationships and provide focused support. - Continuous Learning: We encourage out-of-the-box thinking and offer numerous opportunities for professional growth and development. Rated Outstanding across all areas in our most recent Ofsted Inspection, Thurrock has a friendly and supportive Children's Services Department and we work within the Signs of Safety model, use a contextual safeguarding approach and are passionate about developing social work staff with a good training and development offer. At Thurrock Council, we value our employees and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including: - 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 Important Dates Closing Date (Redeployment Only): 12th February 2026 Closing Date (Internal & External): 22nd February 2026 Interview Date: Week commencing TBC Additional Information For any role related questions please contact the hiring Adolescent CE & Missing team manager Seema Moules - To view the Job Profile and Person Specification, please follow the link below: Download JD As part of the Safer Recruitment process, Gap Management is required for all Safeguarding roles. Please complete the Gaps in Employment grid provided (refer to the example document for guidance) and upload it under Miscellaneous Documents as part of your application. If the Job Profile and Person Specification list any qualifications as essential, please also upload copies of those relevant qualifications. Gaps in Employment Form Gaps in Employment Example