Job title: Senior Therapeutic Social Worker

Salary: PO3 £42,893 - £46,142

Hours: 37 (would consider part time hours)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Leeds

As a Therapeutic Social Worker, you'll thrive supporting service wide social workers on making a meaningful impact in the lives of children and families. Your passion for helping professionals and families become trauma informed will drive you to excel in this role. You'll find fulfilment in working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team, using your expertise to deliver therapeutic interventions and support. Your motivation to continuously learn and grow will be nurtured in an environment that values professional development and innovation.

It’s not about just managing cases or ticking boxes; it’s about making a real difference in the lives of children and families. As a Therapeutic Social Worker, you’ll be at the heart of transformative change, providing the support and interventions that help adoptive families thrive. This is your opportunity to be part of a dynamic team that values innovation, professional growth, and the profound impact of your work.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Therapeutic Social Worker you will bring to the role:

Appropriate social work professional qualification and registration (BSc, BA, MA, DipSW, CQSW, or equivalent).
Additional knowledge, training or experience in relation to therapeutic interventions (examples include: Therapeutic Parenting, Developmental Dyadic Psychotherapy, Theraplay, Therapeutic life story work, Play Therapy, Creative Therapies, EMDR etc) as well as experience and knowledge in working with families living with neurodevelopmental conditions (FASD, ASD, ADHD)
Experience or transferable skills in delivering therapeutic training and groups, multi-agency therapeutic consultations, as well as attachment and trauma informed therapeutic interventions.
Have experience in working within Social Care, therapeutic teams or multi-disciplinary teams and able to devise, implement, review and evaluate therapeutic plans support that offer a multi-disciplinary formulation.

About the role

The One adoption multi-disciplinary team is a Health and Local Authority partnership Therapeutic team offering support to West Yorkshire adoptive families. The team consists of Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Therapeutic Social Workers, Early years and Education Specialists and Business support. We are embedded within One Adoption West Yorkshire and work closely with our partner agencies. The team works systemically using a Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) approach, offering a therapeutic lens to networks around a family, helping to consider the impact of developmental trauma as well as the wider needs of the child and family. The team also offers high quality therapeutic interventions to adoptive families, through training, therapeutic groups, parental support and family-based interventions.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Therapeutic Social Worker to join our team. The MDT is an innovative team, and you will have the opportunity to develop further skills and knowledge from your health and Local Authority peers, as well as internal clinical supervision and external Developmental Dyadic Psychotherapy Group Supervision.

In the role of Therapeutic Social Worker, you will have the opportunity to deliver therapeutic training, courses and groups for professionals and families. You will actively be involved in multi-agency therapeutic consultations and support with assessing therapeutic need and formulating therapeutic plans, using a multi-disciplinary approach. You will work closely with our OAWY Social Care staff and offer therapeutic supervision and support. As a Therapeutic Social Worker, you will work directly with adoptive parents and adoptive children delivering high quality therapeutic interventions that are informed by developmental trauma theories, that also consider neurodevelopmental and wider needs.

We are looking for a Social Worker who has knowledge and experience in attachment and trauma theory and is passionate in supporting adoptive families and their wider networks to become trauma informed. This role will offer the opportunity to develop therapeutic skills further.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Application form

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Katy Graves, Team Manager (kathryn.graves@oneadoptionwy.leeds.gov.uk).

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Responsibilities

To carry a caseload of therapeutic cases to support adoptive families to thrive. These therapeutic cases may include therapeutic parenting support or dyadic therapeutic interventions such as DDP, Theraplay, Therapeutic life story work or other therapeutic interventions.
Work within a multi-disciplinary team, to ensure a wide lens of a child and family's needs is considered as well as the early trauma experiences.
Devise therapeutic plans that consider the multi-faceted needs of adopted child/ren / young people, their families and carers.
Support with the delivery of inhouse therapeutic training and therapeutic groups for professionals and families.
To provide therapeutic consultation, advice, support and guidance to staff within OAWY and partner agencies and to parents.
Provide written and verbal reports which are concise, informative and based on analysis of complex attachment and trauma histories.
Maintain and update case notes and other records and write reports as required, using the electronic management information systems within the requirements of data protection.
Be compliant with relevant governance, policy and procedures.
Participate in training and development activities that ensure up to date knowledge, skills, and continuous professional development.
To comply with the requirements of all Leeds City Council and Directorate policies and procedures and staff instructions, including responsibilities under Health and Safety policy and procedures
To actively promote and support Leeds City Council’s and Directorate policies on Equality and Diversity.
To undertake any other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the grade and purpose of the job as may be determined by the directorate.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications Appropriate professional qualification (BSc, BA, MA, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent) Registration with Social Work England upon commencement of the post and maintain yearly registration.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Skills required

Ability to plan, prioritise and time manage a complex workload.
A high level of effective written and verbal communication and the ability to pass information accurately and concisely with a range of partners and services users, carers and colleagues.
Able to work with professionals and families using a trauma informed approach that helps overcome difficulties and blocked care.
Utilising the Multi disciplinary lens, ability to devise, implement, review and evaluate services and therapeutic plans.
Ability to work therapeutically with professionals and adoptive families and use attachment and trauma informed therapeutic interventions.
Ability to be flexible, creative and use own initiative.
Ability to maintain accurate service user records, assessments and follow policy and procedure.
Able to exercise individual judgement, assess risk and consult where and when appropriate.
Ability to chair therapeutic multi agency and other meetings and represent the Council in a professional capacity.

Knowledge required

Knowledge and understanding of attachment and trauma theories and the needs of adopted families.
Knowledge and awareness of the wider needs of adoptive families such as neuro developmental diagnoses and mental health and how to adapt approaches when working with families with wider needs.
An understanding about the legislative framework appropriate to the needs of service users from a wide range of backgrounds.
Knowledge of evidence-based practice in relation to therapeutic interventions.
Understanding of the roles and responsibilities of statutory and voluntary agencies.
Basic awareness of IT systems including Microsoft Office, Internet and Email.
Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of confidentiality and the needs and wishes of individuals, families and carers as appropriate.
Demonstrate an awareness of needs and safeguarding issues associated with vulnerable people.
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity issues within local communities.
A good understanding of the challenges and benefits of working within a multi-agency environment.

Experience required

Experience of working within a Social Care, therapeutic or multi-disciplinary environment.
Experience of working with children/families in at least one therapeutic modality to promote emotional wellbeing.
Experience of working systemically and supervising, supporting, encouraging and advising other professionals.
Application of information gathering skills to make and contribute to therapeutic need assessments.
Use of reflective practice techniques to critically analyse information to inform therapeutic decision making and planning
Producing written records and reports to a high standard for a variety of purposes with language suited to function
Experience in consultations or chairing meetings using a sensitive and therapeutic approach.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Experience of working with adoptive families or working in an adoptive service.