Interim Principal Social Worker Location: Hybrid – 3 days per week on-site – Southwest of England Day Rate: £450 per day Contract: Initial 3 months (extension likely pending perm recruitment) Start Date: ASAP Role Overview: The postholder is the strategic lead for developing and improving the quality of practice across the Children’s Service. This includes leading, influencing and implementing various workforce planning and development activities required to meet social work regulations and reforms. The post holder will embed our culture, value base and practice framework, ensuring that children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do and that we continually strive to deliver outstanding practice. The postholder will have responsibility for all areas of practice, learning and development via the Academy, early careers and newly qualified programmes, participation and support quality assurance and review work in the wider Practice, Development and Quality Assurance team. Your role as Interim Principal Social Worker: Be the lead for the development and implementation of quality of practice across the Children's Services, contributing to the strategic direction for practice development and improvement, embedding the service culture, values base and practice framework, ensuring that children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do. Contribute to the Senior Management Team to bring influence and challenge, highlighting issues to the Director of Safeguarding and Corporate Director of Children's Services in terms of strengthening in practice as well as areas of concern. Set the direction for the development of outstanding practice, promote and develop innovation and practice development across the Service. Lead and contribute to strategies and actions which support us to embed a professional and accountable culture which ensures children and young people are at the centre of our decisions Work closely with the DfE and national workforce reform bodies around practice development and innovation. Lead on the development and maintenance of practice standards across the service, ensuring that we continue to drive practice forward, to deliver an outstanding service for children, young people and their families. Essential Skills as Interim Principal Social Worker: In-depth knowledge and experience of the Professional Capabilities Framework and how this supports the training and development of social workers. Demonstrable experience and advanced understanding of relationship-based social work, systemic approaches, solution focused interventions and ideally the Family Safeguarding model. Substantial experience of direct work with children and young people and their families within a social care context inclusive of having undertaken complex assessments. Strong working knowledge of the legislative framework within which Social Care operates, inclusive of legislation, regulation and national guidance and procedures specific to this post. Satisfactory DBS enhanced disclosure will be a condition of this role. If you meet the above criteria and would like to apply for this role, please email your updated CV to (url removed) or call Scott Speed on (phone number removed) Our clients are passionate about creating and evolving a diverse workforce and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant. Recruiting decisions are based on your experience and skills. Any reasonable adjustments in the workplace will be fully supported during the application and hiring process