Job Title: Advanced Practitioner – Social Care Academy
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 29.6 (4 days per week)
Salary: HC10 £46,142 - £50,269 (plus £5,000 market forces supplement) pro rata
Welcome payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)
Relocation package of up to £10,000 available
Closing date: 19/07/2026
“Delivering Good quality services through Outstanding Leadership” – Ofsted
Introduction
We have a vacancy for an Advanced Practitioner to join our Social Care Academy. This is an exciting opportunity to join our developing team and contribute to creating a safe and supportive, yet challenging, learning environment for Herefordshire’s work force. You will be supported by an established team with a strong commitment to relationship-based practice, flexible working and professional development.
We are proud of our restorative approach to social work - a way of working that is firmly embedded in our team culture and management style. Collaboration and reflection are at the heart of how we practice.
Curious about what it’s really like to be a Social Worker with us?
Want to know what it really feels like to work with our passionate and dedicated Social Work teams? This short video gives you a glimpse into the heart of our service and shows why Herefordshire Council could be the perfect place for your next career move.
https://youtu.be/FSjU-FV5uic
The Role
As an Advanced Practitioner in the Social Care Academy, you will provide coaching, mentoring, training and support to social workers and alternatively qualified practitioners in addition to providing practice educator support to apprentices, student social workers, newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) and practice educators in training. You will lead on areas of practice development and training within the wider service, and support with the implementation of our practice standards, quality assurance framework, professional values, policies and procedures.
We will support you to develop areas of expertise via training, learning from latest research and good practice, keeping apprised of current statutory guidance and legislation, and hearing from the experiences and feedback of children and families. You will be expected to share your learning experience with other practitioners and managers through such methods as in person or virtual training sessions, e-learning modules, videos, podcasts, or any new ideas you create or have experienced.
Herefordshire is on a journey, and we would like you to be part of our next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity to have a genuine impact on the local authority and help improve and protect the children and young people within it.
To arrange an informal discussion, or ask any questions about the role, please contact
[email protected]
About You
We are looking for Social Workers who are:
- Passionate about safeguarding children and supporting families
- Skilled in assessment, planning, and delivering interventions
- Committed to working collaboratively, inclusively, and creatively
- Resilient, reflective, and confident in making difficult decisions
- Able to work effectively within a supportive team environment
- Registered with Social Work England and hold a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree/DipSW/CQSW)
- Have experience in Practice Education and hold Practice Educator Awards.
We Offer
A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Salary range of £46,142 - £50,269 (pro rata) per annum
- Market rate supplement: £5,000 (pro rata) per annum
- Welcome Payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)
- Retention payment: £2,000 - £4,000 depending on team.
- Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
- Professional development: protected time and budget to develop yourself and your career
- Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Career progression: clear pathways to progress
- Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
- Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
- Pick your perks - our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
Why Choose Us?
We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.
At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.
Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community.
Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.
It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practice approach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.
If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.
Herefordshire Council Plan
The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:
Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028
Reasonable Adjustments
Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [email protected].
If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.
Creating an inclusive workplace
We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.
For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.
Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:
- Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.
How to apply
To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, the C&YP Recruitment Team will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too.
Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!
Please note: the council is currently unable to offer overseas visa sponsorship for Social Worker roles in Children & Young People. Overseas prospective candidates that require sponsorship to work in the UK should not apply for these roles. We appreciate your interest in Herefordshire Council and would encourage you to consider other opportunities with us that may be open to sponsorship. A full list of current vacancies can be found here: https://spiritofherefordshire.com/children-young-people/jobs/
Sponsorship Available (UK Only): We can provide Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for successful candidates who are already living in the UK and have a minimum of two years’ UK‑based experience in the relevant team or discipline.
