Locum Safeguarding Advanced Practitioner

Advanced Social Work Practitioner (Children’s)

Brief Job Overview

 
Bedford Borough Council is seeking an experienced and reliable Advanced Social Work Practitioner to join the Children’s Services leadership team. This is a non–case-holding managerial role responsible for providing practice leadership and operational oversight to a pod of social workers. You will work closely with the Team Leader and contribute to maintaining high standards of safeguarding, decision-making and service delivery across the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Line-manage and provide regular professional supervision to a pod of five social workers, supporting development, performance and reflective practice.
• Act as duty manager on rota (approximately once every three or four weeks), making timely decisions in response to referrals and safeguarding concerns.
• Allocate children and cases to your pod, ensuring caseloads are distributed appropriately and work is progressed in line with statutory timescales.
• Chair and contribute to multi-agency strategy meetings and other planning forums to ensure coordinated safeguarding responses.
• Provide advice, guidance and quality assurance on assessments, care planning and statutory processes to social workers in your pod.
• Support the Team Leader with operational tasks, service improvement activity and escalation where required.
• Promote a culture of reflective practice, continuous learning and compliance with local and national safeguarding guidance.
• Maintain accurate records of supervision, management decisions and meeting outcomes in line with council policies.

About You

 
You are a confident, organised and collaborative senior practitioner who values strong professional relationships and clear decision-making. You have experience of supervising social workers and chairing safeguarding or strategy meetings. You model constructive challenge, promote good evidence-based practice and provide calm, proportionate leadership at times of pressure.

Requirements

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England (or equivalent professional registration).
• Proven experience of post-qualifying social work practice in children’s services, including direct experience of safeguarding and multi-agency working.
• Experience of supervising and developing social workers, with an ability to deliver reflective, practice-focused supervision.
• Confidence in making safeguarding decisions and chairing strategy / multi-agency meetings.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including clear record keeping and the ability to provide concise management guidance.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, support team wellbeing and maintain professional standards under pressure.
• Commitment to strengths-based, child-centred practice and continuous service improvement.

Contract & Salary

• Location: Bedford Borough Council
• Job Type: Managerial / non case-holding post (contract and hours to be confirmed)
• Salary: Negotiable, dependent on experience
• Working Hours: Full-time (standard hours to be confirmed)

How to Apply

 
If you are an experienced practitioner who can provide calm, effective management and high-quality supervision within a supportive team environment, we’d welcome your application.  
Please apply using the form on the page.