Could you inspire peers, managers, and partners, and influence and transform our adult social care offer in Durham? We’re the largest local authority in the North East and we’re re-modelling our adult social care offer. We’re looking for a number of inspiring and dynamic officers to support our transformation journey. This is a temporary post until 30th June 2029. WHAT IS INVOLVED? We’re looking for forward-thinking Social Work Practice Leads with a passion for shaping outstanding adult social care and exceptional social work to champion high-quality, person-centred support across our service. As a Practice Lead, you’ll model excellence every day. You’ll mentor and coach colleagues, strengthen practice confidence, and help create a culture where reflective practice, innovation and positive change thrive. Working closely with the Principal Social Worker, service managers and our Practice Development Team, you’ll play a central role in transforming the way we deliver support for adults across our communities. You will: Lead and embed high-quality, consistent practice across our specialist areas (older persons, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health and substance misuse) Champion culture change, co-production, person-centred and strengths-based approaches Coach and mentor staff to build confidence, skills and outstanding professional practice Promote inclusive, anti-discriminatory practice and uphold the highest ethical standards Evaluate practice, drive service improvement and share learning across the workforce Support practitioners to make evidence-informed decisions Support practitioners to embed digital technologies in their practice Keep the voice of people who use our services at the heart of everything we do. We encourage you to contact Karen Barnes (Principal Social Worker for Adults) via email at karen.barnes@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role. WHAT WILL I NEED? Relevant Qualifications & professional registration: Degree in Social Work or equivalent (eg. Dip SW, CSS or CQSW). NB: non-UK qualifications must be at degree level Registration with Social Work England and dedication to ongoing CPD. Experience, skills and personal qualities: Significant social work experienceBuilding and maintaining respectful partnerships with practitioners and partner agencies Supervising / Mentoring / Coaching social care practitioners Knowledge of relevant current and proposed legislation, case law and policy, with the ability to apply this knowledge to practice Confidence in providing analytical, constructive feedback to others to develop their practice Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice and non-judgemental stance and the confidence to challenge oppressive practice Excellent written and verbal communication skills Excellent analytical, influencing and negotiation skillsPlease refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. Our commitment to safeguarding: Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Adults Barred, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with adults. INTERVIEWS Interviews will be held Week Commencing 18th May 2026. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. OUR OFFER TO YOU We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website. Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process. HOW TO APPLY Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. Please visit our website to understand our position on using AI to support your application and for guidance on completing your application. If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentAHS@durham.gov.uk All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates. CONNECT WITH US Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Visit our website VPRS/161