Position reference: 50146396
Directorate: Children's Services | Service: Children In Care
Salary: £50,269
Working Arrangements: Agile, min 3 days in the office
This is a full-time role. We are committed to supporting work–life balance, and requests for flexible working, including job share, will be considered in line with the needs of the service. Given the requirement for continuity of support to service users, any flexible working arrangements would need to ensure consistency in case management.
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.
See our range of Employee Rewards: Employee rewards and benefits
Closing date: 03/07/2026 at 23:59
The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.
This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check
If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email [email protected]
When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.
Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.
At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.
We’re an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.
There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and now’s the perfect time to join our excellent Post SGO Support team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
- We’re an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough supporting around 243,000 people.
- Working at Barnsley Council means being part of a team that makes a real difference to people’s lives, where you can develop the skills you need to make change happen.
- If you join the team you’ll receive great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme. With flexible working we’ll also support your work/life balance, helping you to adjust your hours and take time off when you need it.
- We’ll help you to develop your career and grow your skills with opportunities for training and development.
- There’s so much happening in our thriving borough and your talent and skills will help us make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
- Key to our success is working with our residents, partners, businesses and organisations and building these partnerships to bring about change in Barnsley.
About the Post:
The Advanced Practitioner will play a pivotal role in the leadership, development and oversight of the Post Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Support Service. The postholder will contribute to the strategic growth of the service, with plans to extend provision to families subject to Child Arrangements Orders (CAO) as the service develops.
The role will ensure that children and families support that promotes permanence, stability and consistently positive outcomes. As part of the continued expansion of the Kinship Service, the Advanced Practitioner will provide professional leadership and oversight within the team, supporting the delivery of high quality assessments and interventions for children who are cared for within their wider family networks. This is a significant opportunity to contribute to service design, innovation and continuous improvement, at a time of growth and development.
The service works with a diverse range of kinship arrangements, including Special Guardianship Orders, Child Arrangements Orders and private fostering arrangements. The Advanced Practitioner will be expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting kinship families, recognising both the complexities and strengths within these arrangements, and promoting a consistent, strengths based approach across the service.
The AP will maintain a reduced caseload of kinship assessments, ensuring continued direct practice alongside their leadership responsibilities. In addition, they will have responsibility for the Post SGO Support Team, including providing reflective supervision, quality assurance and practice guidance to staff. This will include driving high standards of practice and supporting professional development.
A key aspect of the role will be to identify and develop creative and responsive approaches to service delivery, ensuring that the current offer evolves to meet the needs of all kinship families. The Advanced Practitioner will play a central role in shaping the future direction of the service. They will also be responsible for the supervision and allocation of work to family support workers in the team
The role requires a practitioner with strong leadership capability, sound professional judgement and a clear commitment to achieving permanence and stability for children within their family networks.
Visit our dedicated webpage to hear from our social workers, our Executive Director, and learn more about the role and Children’s Services:
https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/jobs/childrens-social-worker-jobs-in-barnsley/
Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.
Job Profile: Advanced Practitioner Job Profile.pdf
Vacancy Exposure Profile: Exposure Profile LOW.pdf
Help with your application form
Why work for us?
Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application form how you meet the required criteria.
We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.
We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.
CV's are not accepted for this role.
At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. #InclusiveHiring #SecondChances"
www.barnsley.gov.uk/jobs
