Children & Families Social Work - Policy and Practice Lead

Role

We are excited to be recruiting for a new Children & Families Social Work Policy and Practice Lead.

Scotland is at a critical moment in the evolution of its services and support for children and families, with change likely to be particularly significant for social work. Realisation of the Promise, incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility, reform of Secure Care – just a few strands from a tightly interwoven agenda, within which each distinct part offers real opportunity for progress, and considerable operational challenge.

This post with Social Work Scotland will be at the centre of these national developments, helping to facilitate the engagement and leadership of our Children & Families Standing Committee members, Chief Social Work Officers and the Social Work Scotland Board. In partnership with colleagues in Social Work Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Office of the Chief Social Work Advisor, this post also offers a chance to join up interdependent but disconnected policy agendas, constructing a more coherent and enabling operational environment for social work as a whole.

The post will have a role in supporting national projects currently hosted by Social Work Scotland, such as reform of Joint Investigative Interviewing of Children. If successful in securing the post, you will have the opportunity to build relationships with the leadership of the social work profession in Scotland, in operations, regulation, advocacy, policy making, education and academia. You’ll also build or strengthen links across the Children & Families sector, within Scotland, the UK and internationally. You will be a visible representative of the profession, and you will help Social Work Scotland’s members to realise opportunities and resolve challenges. At the core of Social Work Scotland is a commitment to assisting the profession be the best it can be for the individuals, families and communities who need social work or social care support; the Children & Families Social Work Policy and Practice role is central to us delivering on that commitment.

Application notes

To apply for this post, please submit a covering letter/email and a completed application form.

Your covering letter should be between 800 and 1000 words and should set out why you want the job, summarise your relevant experience, and explain how you meet the job’s ‘Person Specification’. Please state in your application form if you do want us to contact references prior to interview.

Secondments welcome.

Completed application forms and covering letters should be sent to admin@socialworkscotland.org by 08:00 on Monday 21 June 2021.