Senior practitioner

Supervise less experienced social workers and practitioners to achieve positive outcomes for children and families.

A senior practitioners will manage complex cases, provide quality assurance and support less experienced social workers.

Senior practitioners are also referred to as:

advanced practitioners
practice leads
consultant social workers
senior social workers

What you'll do

As a senior practitioner you'll:

supervise less experienced social workers and practitioners to achieve positive outcomes for children and families
lead on complex cases and chair key meetings such as case reviews and core group meetings
collect and analyse information and present your findings at strategic meetings
monitor and assess the quality of work carried out by social workers
develop training and track the development of less experienced social workers
help develop and implement relevant policies and procedures
carry out case reviews and provide feedback to improve social workers' skills and practice
work with multi-partner agencies to support children and families
model good practice for less experienced social workers and support their well-being

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

a strong understanding of child and family social work principles, theories and practices
communication skills to articulate and deliver your views to varied audiences
the ability to manage a complex caseload and prioritise accordingly
analytical skills to assess complex situations and come up with effective solutions
the ability to build positive relationships with families and external partners
to be committed to continuous professional development

How to become one

To become a senior practitioner you must:

have completed a degree, apprenticeship or graduate training scheme in social work
be registered with Social Work England
ideally have at least 3 years' experience as a qualified child and family social worker

Career paths and progression

With experience you could:

progress into a management role such as team manager or service manager
study for a postgraduate MA in Advanced Professional Practice with a local authority
become a practice educator and train and mentor students
further specialise in specific areas of social work practice
research or study for a PhD

Current opportunities