Senior Practitioner - TESS

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Senior Social Work Practitioner with a keen interest in supporting children and young people in care to join our Therapeutic and Emotional Support Service (TESS). We are looking for an experienced social work practitioner to join our TESS leadership group with a focus on those young people experiencing complex emotional and relationship presentation.

TESS is an emotional wellbeing service that offers assessment and a wide range of individual, dyadic and group therapeutic interventions to Birmingham’s children in care, their parents/foster carers and care leavers up to the age of 25 years. The role will involve supporting children and young people who have experienced early adversity and present with attachment/complex trauma related difficulties. TESS also provides consultation and support to the professional network.

We are keen to recruit people that are interested in joining a team whose area of focus is working with care experienced children and young people.  The post holders will be joining a friendly, supportive, very well established and highly regarded multi-disciplinary team of clinical psychology, systemic family therapy, play therapy, and other therapeutic social workers trained in a variety of models (e.g. DDP, CBT, DBT, etc). A wide range of approaches and models are utilised within the service to best meet the needs of the individual child and/or family, and innovative and creative working is encouraged.

We work with children, young people, and care leavers who are placed in Birmingham and out of city, who are from a wide range of age groups and diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our workforce represents the diverse families of Birmingham that we support.

Young people experience a wide spectrum of concerns, including issues of separation and loss, emotional, behavioural and neurodevelopmental difficulties, mental health issues and developmental trauma.  We work closely with the children and young people’s care network, other agencies and local services to improve the lives of children in care.  An ability to demonstrate team and multi-agency partnership working are crucial elements to this role.

We are looking to appoint a Senior Social Work Practitioner to join our team who has demonstratable experience of working with children and young people with complex emotional needs and a knowledge base of a trauma informed approach, enabling you to demonstrate your ability to support a child’s care network and contribute to the development of informed care and support plans.

If you have experience of working with children and young people, are positive, passionate and committed to making a difference whilst enjoying the challenge this brings, we would like to hear from you.  We are looking for applicants who hold a knowledge base of trauma informed approaches and has a demonstratable knowledge of complex emotional needs. We are interested in hearing from applicants that have an interest in evidence-based practice and research and have a level of therapeutic training and are keen to develop their knowledge in this area. If you can work independently as well as being part of a team, we would like to hear from you.

We will provide you with access to training, regular professional and management supervision, and on-going support.

In order to be considered for this role please include a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the competencies required as outlined in the attached person specification.  

For more information please contact Sherril Duffy or Paula Nesbitt, TESS Team Managers: [email protected] or  [email protected] 

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.