Make an impact where it matters the most – Advanced Social Worker in the Kinship Assessment Team. This is a new role within our service, offering a rare opportunity to join at an exciting stage of development and play a key part in shaping how the role evolves.
About Us
Our Kinship Assessment Teams plays a key role in supporting Devon County as a corporate parent for children and young people who cannot live at home but are cared for within their extended family and friendship networks.
Our Kinship Assessment service is comprised of three teams - one Viability Assessment Team and two Kinship Assessment Teams who undertake Form K assessments, supporting temporarily approved foster carers across Exeter & East Devon, North & Mid Devon, and South & West Devon. Our three teams work collaboratively to secure the best possible outcomes for the children and young people we support.
We are proud to have a stable, permanent management team that offers consistent leadership, clear direction and a supportive environment where practitioners can thrive. Our service also operates as a countywide team, offering genuine flexibility around your work base. Whether you are located in the north, south or east of Devon, we can agree a primary base that works for you. With hybrid working and the ability to travel across the county as needed, this role provides the freedom to balance professional responsibilities with a work location that suits your circumstances.
About the Role
Advanced Social Workers play a pivotal role within our teams, holding smaller but more complex caseloads and consistently demonstrating high‑quality practice that meets all statutory requirements. You will champion restorative approaches, foster a culture of collaboration, and promote opportunities for reflection and continuous professional learning.
In this position, you will provide practical development sessions, training, coaching, and mentoring to students, unqualified practitioners, newly qualified social workers and social workers new to the service. Your guidance will help build confidence, strengthen core skills, and elevate practice standards across the service. Your ability to pause, reflect, and support others in their development will contribute directly to achieving the best possible outcomes for children, young people, and their families.
As an expert practitioner within your team, you will enhance the service’s capacity to deliver complex social work interventions through joint working, high‑quality practice advice, and robust quality assurance. Advanced Practitioners offer clear direction on improving practice quality, which may include activities such as quality assuring assessments, audit activity and providing reflective feedback, or undertaking joint visits to support learning and development. The role includes deputising for the Team Manager when required and driving forward the Kinship Improvement Plan and the wider strategic vision for the service.
About You
You will have substantial post qualifying experience with children and families, and the expertise and approach to effectively support your colleagues. You will need to be working in line with the BASW PCF framework, your skills and experience will include:
1. Strong working knowledge and understanding of the legislation, models, and theories relevant to children’s social work.
2. Exceptional recording and planning skills, along with a high level of written and verbal communication skills.
3. The ability to build effective professional relationships with children, families, and other professionals
4. Experience working within social care, including working in a multi-agency and court environment
5. A social work qualification and registration with Social Work England
What’s in it for you?
In return for the vital contribution that you make, we offer some fantastic employee benefits, including:
6. Generous annual leave, and the ability to purchase additional annual leave.
7. Ongoing learning and development opportunities through our Social Work Academy.
8. Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee well-being services.
9. We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible
10. Discounts at over 900 national & local high street retailers through our benefits platform
11. Free onsite parking.
12. Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
13. Cycle to work scheme
14. Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme