Locum Safeguarding Advanced Practitioner

Advanced Practitioner – Children’s Services (Long Term Team)

Brief Job Overview

 
We are recruiting an experienced and confident Advanced Practitioner to join the Children’s Services Long Term Team at Newcastle City Council. This role is ideal for a highly skilled social worker ready to take the next step in their career, offering guidance, leadership, and expert practice within a supportive and forward-thinking team.  

You will work with children, young people, and families to deliver outstanding long-term social work, ensuring safety, stability, and positive outcomes. As an Advanced Practitioner, you will also support and mentor less experienced colleagues, contributing to high standards of professional practice across the service.

Key Responsibilities

• Hold a reduced, complex caseload of Child in Need, Child Protection, and Children Looked After cases, ensuring timely and effective interventions.
• Provide expert advice, coaching, and mentoring to social workers, promoting reflective practice and continual learning.
• Lead and model high-quality social work practice, ensuring compliance with statutory duties and local policies.
• Contribute to care planning and permanency arrangements for children, ensuring their needs remain central to all decision-making.
• Undertake and oversee complex assessments and risk analyses, ensuring robust care and safety planning for children and families.
• Prepare high-quality, evidence-based reports for case conferences, reviews, and court proceedings.
• Work collaboratively with partner agencies including education, health, and police to deliver coordinated safeguarding and support.
• Support management in developing practice standards and improving service delivery through innovation and professional development.
• Provide leadership and oversight on case discussions, chair meetings where appropriate, and contribute to strategy and planning sessions.
• Promote strengths-based and relationship-focused practice, ensuring all work is child-centred and outcome-driven.

About You

 
You are an accomplished and reflective practitioner with extensive experience in statutory children’s social care. You combine strong leadership and mentoring skills with a deep understanding of child protection, permanency planning, and family support. You are confident managing complex cases, influencing practice standards, and championing high-quality social work across the service.

Requirements

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Significant post-qualified experience within Children’s Services, including long-term child protection and care planning work.
• Experience supporting and mentoring social workers and promoting reflective practice.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the Children Act 1989, Care Planning Regulations, and related safeguarding frameworks.
• Strong assessment, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to manage complex and sensitive cases effectively and proportionately.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and evidence-informed practice.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work effectively within multi-disciplinary teams and contribute to strategic service development.

Contract & Salary

• Job Type: Locum
• Location: Newcastle City Council
• Service Area: Children’s Services – Long Term Team
• Contract Length: 3 months (with potential for extension)
• Salary: Negotiable, dependent on experience
• Working Hours: Full-time
• Working Pattern: Hybrid / Office-based as required

How to Apply

 
If you are a passionate and experienced social work professional with a proven track record in long-term child protection and care planning, we’d love to hear from you.  
Please apply using the form on the page.