Job info	Job info details
Job title	Practice Development Advisor
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Business unit	Learning Academy
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Practice Educator/ASYE Lead
Accountable to (line manager)	Practice Educator/ASYE Lead
Salary grade	K
JE ref	CSERV061

1. Key purpose of job

• To support the development of high-quality social work practice across Children’s Services by:
  • Assisting in the delivery and co-ordination of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme to include monitoring and review of participants.
  • Manage the implementation of practice development and assessment in learning programmes including social work student placements, Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and practice educator training.
  • Supporting the learning, development and assessment of Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) and student/apprentice social workers.
  • Promoting evidence-based practice and continuous professional development in collaboration with service needs and senior management.
  • Working closely with the Practice Educator/ASYE Lead in supporting the wider organisation strategic priorities to include recruitment and retention of qualified social work employees.
  • Contribute to supporting managers to identify learning needs for social care practitioners and develop, advise, implement and provide support to Children’s social care service in the provision of high-quality practice with children and their families.
  • Ability to identify and manage situations where NQSW or students/apprentices are failing their assessed programmes.
  • Dynamically integrate and apply a strengths-based restorative approach to all aspects of the role.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• NQSWs and students demonstrate consistent, high-quality practice aligned with the Post-Qualifying Standards (PQS) and Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
• Torbay Council is recognised as an employer of choice for social workers and students.
• A culture of continuous learning and reflective practice is supported across Children’s Services.
• Cultural competence is promoted within all areas of the workforce.
• Retention of social workers provides consistency for the children and young people of Torbay who access Children’s Services, leading to improved outcomes due to confident, well supported practitioners.
• Torbay Council and its employees seek to eliminate discrimination, advance equality/equity and foster good relations.
• Structured supervision, protected caseloads, and critical reflection time are embedded in ASYE delivery.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• ASYE Programme Support:  Assist in the delivery and evaluation of the ASYE programme, ensuring alignment with national standards and local priorities.
• Practice Education: Provide mentoring, supervision and assessment for social work students and NQSWs in line with the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), Post Qualifying Standards (PQS) and SW England training.
• Training and Development: Contribute to the development and facilitation of training sessions to include reflective practice, action learning and peer group support networks, ASYE and alternatively qualified staff specific practice workshops with the aim to enhance professional competence, capability and confidence.
• Quality Assurance: Support the monitoring and evaluation of all areas of work undertaken in the role, the impact on practice and contribute to service improvement initiatives under the guidance of senior staff.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the Principal Social Worker, team managers, children and young people who access services, other stakeholders including higher education institutions to support the alignment of practice learning with strategic goals.
• Pastoral Support:  Offer guidance and support to NQSWs, apprentices and students to promote well-being and professional resilience.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands with reasonable adjustments where necessary.   

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal Resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

• Higher Education Providers.
• Practice Education Forums and contacts within other authorities.

Internal

• Principal Social Worker.
• Service Managers across Children’s Services.
• Experienced Social Workers.
• Newly Qualified Social Workers and students/apprentices.
• Learning Academy professionals.
• Children’s Finance & Business Support.
• Human Resources..

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job, e.g. participate in recruitment selection exercises.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures and is aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council. 
• This post is office based at the Town Hall, Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Practice Development Advisor
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Business unit	Learning Academy

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both face to face and via digital media.
• Ability to contribute to the design and delivery of engaging learning and development content.
• Skilled in coaching, mentoring and performance assessment of professionals that they do not line manage.
• Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills and identify creative, strengths-based solutions.
• Able to critically reflect and analyse own work and that of others.
• Role model knowledge and skills required to improve outcomes for children and families.
• Strong decision-making skills.
• Able to prioritise and deliver to timescales.
• Able to deliver both individually and as part of a team.
• Be a reflective practitioner with a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.
• Able to use a range of relevant IT applications including core Microsoft office suite.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, and mentoring skills.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Strong track record of delivering a customer-focussed service.
• Strong, confident influencing skills with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Previous recruitment and selection interviewing skills.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Skilled and experienced in social work practice and social work practice education. 
• In-depth knowledge of local and national reforms and up to date research.
• Understanding of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) framework.
• Knowledge of children’s social care legislation and policy.
• Ability to evaluate practice, identify learning needs, and contribute to service improvement.

Desirable knowledge

• Understanding of restorative and relational practice approaches. 
• Knowledge of placement co-ordination for students.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Post qualification experience as a social worker including extensive knowledge in child development, child safeguarding and relevant policy and legislation.
• Experience supervising, supporting and assessing professional learners to include social work students and/or NQSWs.
• Experience of design and delivery of engaging learning and development content.
• Commitment to evidence of applying evidence informed practice approaches.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Contributing to the development of a continuous improvement culture during periods of organisational transformation. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Relevant professional social work qualification (to the equivalent of degree/Level 6 or 7).
• Current registration certificate from Social Work England.
• Practice Educator qualification at degree level or above.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Qualifications in training/facilitation/teaching.

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/Southwest/UK in order to undertake aspects of the role, such as practice observations and regional recruitment activities.
• Ability to accommodate homeworking when required.