Senior Practitioner - Connected Persons

We are recruiting for a Senior Practitioner in our Connected Persons Fostering team on an intital 6 month fixed term basis. The Connected Persons is responsible for the assessment of connected persons foster carers and special guardians, the supervision of connected persons foster carers and the support of special guardians. Coventry has invested strongly in our Connected Persons fostering team as part of our Family Valued approach of family led decision making. For us, it is clear that if children cannot remain at home they are best placed with people within their family and friends network As a Senior Practitioner / Deputy Team Manager within the Connected Person team you will be responsble for the supervision of some connected persons foster carers (equivalent of around 50% of full caseload). You also have responsibility on a rota basis for the oversight of the referrals coming into the team including quality assurance of positive initial assessments. You will participate and lead on aspects of team development for example, the development of our support offer to special guardians. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Who are we looking for? The children, families and young people we work with come from a variety of backgrounds and in order to deliver the best possible care it is vital that we have a workforce that is culturally competent, representative and understands their unique experiences and perspectives. Our workforce data shows that men and people from minority ethnic backgrounds are under-represented at senior management level, and in line with our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we would like to encourage applications from these under-represented groups. This does not prevent individuals with or without any other protected characteristics as set out within the Equality Act 2010 from applying for this post.

You will be a qualified and experienced Social Worker who embraces diversity and inclusivity and has experience of working with carers within the family network whether in a fostering or children's social work context. You will be interested in exploring taking on a leadership role and either using or developing skills in this area., Disability Confident About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

At Coventry City Council, we are embarking on an incredible journey to create a brighter future for Coventry's children. As a 'Good' Local Authority, we believe in pushing boundaries and delivering excellence for children and families. We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias. Our vision is clear, and our social workers are unwavering in their commitment to putting children and families at the centre of their practice. Be part of our inspiring team, making a meaningful difference in the lives of Coventry's children. Together, let's create a nurturing environment where every child's potential can flourish. Our Values In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do. Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do., Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.
We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse. At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things. To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities. If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition