Senior Practitioner

Full Time, Permanent (37 hours per week) 

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Practitioner to join Bristol City Council's Specialist Safeguarding Adults Team (SAT). 

The SAT is a specialist citywide service responsible for the management of safeguarding concerns and enquiries across Bristol. The team leads on Care Act Section 42 decision making, Section 42 enquiry coordination, organisational safeguarding, and Person in Position of Trust (PiPoT) processes. 

As a Senior Practitioner, you will be a key member of the team's leadership team, providing professional guidance, oversight and support across safeguarding activity. Working within the triage function, you will oversee safeguarding decision making under Section 42(1) of the Care Act and coordinate complex Section 42(2) safeguarding enquiries, ensuring timely, proportionate and strengths-based responses to risk. 

This is a hybrid position with a minimum office attendance requirement of two days per week. 

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner who is passionate about safeguarding, enjoys supporting the development of others, and wants to play a leading role in delivering high-quality safeguarding practice across Bristol. 

What You'll Be Doing 

As a Senior Practitioner in the Specialist Safeguarding Adults Team, you will:
 

• Provide professional leadership, guidance and support to Social Workers and Social Care Practitioners. 

• Make and oversee safeguarding decisions under Section 42(1) of the Care Act. 

• Coordinate and oversee complex Section 42(2) safeguarding enquiries. 

• Support proportionate, strengths-based safeguarding practice focused on achieving outcomes that matter to the adult. 

• Provide consultation and advice to colleagues and partner agencies on safeguarding matters. 

• Chair safeguarding meetings and multi-agency discussions where required. 

• Support quality assurance activity and contribute to the ongoing development of safeguarding practice. 

• Undertake duty management responsibilities on a rota basis. Including screening new referrals, determining immediate safety planning tasks and writing guidance for follow-up by Social Workers and Social Care Practitioners.  

• Deputise for the Team Manager where appropriate. 

• Contribute to organisational safeguarding and Person in Position of Trust (PiPoT) processes. 

What We're Looking For 

We are looking for an experienced and skilled practitioner who:
 

• Is a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England. 

• Has significant post-qualifying experience within Adult Social Care. 

• Has strong knowledge of safeguarding practice, the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Human Rights Act and associated legislation. 

• Can confidently analyse risk and make defensible safeguarding decisions in complex situations. 

• Has experience of partnership working across a range of agencies. 

• Can provide professional guidance, mentoring and support to colleagues. 

• Is committed to strengths-based, person-centred practice that promotes choice, control and wellbeing. 

• Demonstrates strong communication, decision-making and organisational skills. 

Working Arrangements 

This is a hybrid role. Staff are expected to work from the office for a minimum of two days per week, together with any additional attendance required to meet service needs.

Please note that this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS Check.

Why Bristol City Council?

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation. For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working.

Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including flexible working and flexitime, membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.

How do I apply?

If you share our values and are ready to be part of our exciting journey please select the apply button below.

To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification within the Further Information section of your application. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your application.

We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.

Please Note

Interviews will be held week commencing 5th October 2026

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Louisa Ratcliffe, Team Manager@ louisa.ratcliffe@bristol.gov.ukor Alastair Roderick, Lead Safeguarding Co-ordinator@ alastair.roderick@bristol.gov.uk 

At Bristol City Council, we value having a workforce as diverse as the city we serve. We therefore welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit.

The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.