Team: Children Looked After
Base: Barnstaple, North Devon
We are seeking an Advanced Social Work Practitioner to join our Children Looked After team in North and Mid Devon. This is a key role focused on strengthening practice, guiding colleagues, and improving outcomes for children and young people in our care.
Working in partnership with the Team Manager, you will be confident in providing effective leadership and supervision to your team. You’ll support the day-to-day running of the service, helping to ensure high-quality, responsive support for children and families across Devon.
This is a dynamic, hands-on role where you’ll manage a smaller, more complex caseload, undertaking detailed assessments and working closely with children and young people with diverse and challenging needs.
Through mentoring and supervision, you’ll share your expertise to support colleagues and students, helping to drive continuous improvement and best practice across the team.
Skills and Experience
Our Advanced Social Workers provide a lead social work role within each of our teams, supporting the development of good evidence-based practice. With substantial post-qualifying experience and the ability to demonstrate that you’re working in line with the BASW PCF framework, you will:
1. Demonstrate the ability to work holistically with families, supporting children with complex needs within a multi-agency environment
2. Have evidence of substantial post-qualifying training and development
3. Be able to lead improvement and challenge the quality of social care practice in a constructive manner
4. You will also need to either be a Practice Educator or willing to undertake the relevant training at the earliest opportunity
5. Champion high standards of professional social work practice
6. Encourage and support opportunities for reflection and learning, delivering on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring to unqualified/alternatively qualified staff, students, and less experienced social workers
This is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to progress in their social work career. Corporate Parenting is a challenging, yet incredibly rewarding environment where you will see first-hand, the positive impact our dedicated teams have on the future of Children and Young People in Devon.
This role is currently eligible for an annual Retention payment of £2,000 per annum pro rata.
Children's Social Care at Devon County Council
Devon County Council is currently on an ambitious journey of cultural change. We're continuing to embed and relational ways of working and we believe that for most, the family home is the best place for children to live and thrive.
There are many benefits to joining Devon County Council and in exchange for your dedication, skills and experience we can offer a number of employee benefits including:
7. Generous annual leave
8. Free onsite parking
9. Flexible working opportunities and promotion of a healthy work-life balance, including working from home where possible – Please visit for more information
10. Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee well-being services
11. Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
12. Discounts at over 900 national & local high street retailers through our benefits platform
13. Cycle to work scheme
14. Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme