Oxfordshire County Council

Senior Practitioner - Kinship Matters Team

The closing date is 30 January 2026

Job summary

About the role We are looking for a committed Senior Practitioner for our Kinship Matters team. You will be responsible for assessing Regulation 24 arrangements to present to Fostering Panel and Special Guardianship Order applications for children who are subject to Care Proceedings. You will work to ensure that your assessments are completed within timescales and are of a good quality. You will also be responsible for developing robust support plans for these arrangements.

Main duties of the job

About the role We are looking for a committed Senior Practitioner for our Kinship Matters team. You will be responsible for assessing Regulation 24 arrangements to present to Fostering Panel and Special Guardianship Order applications for children who are subject to Care Proceedings. You will work to ensure that your assessments are completed within timescales and are of a good quality. You will also be responsible for developing robust support plans for these arrangements.

About us

About us The Kinship Matters team sits within the Fostering Service. We have a designated Kinship team covering the three areas of the county. They will be line managed by either an Assistant Team Manager or the Team Manager who oversee the Kinship Matters team.

Details

Date posted

02 January 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£46,142 to £49,282 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

VPB7366518

Job locations

Kidlington

OX5 2BP


Job description

Job responsibilities

About us

The Kinship Matters team sits within the Fostering Service. We have a designated Kinship team covering the three areas of the county. They will be line managed by either an Assistant Team Manager or the Team Manager who oversee the Kinship Matters team.

About the role

We are looking for a committed Senior Practitioner for our Kinship Matters team. You will be responsible for assessing Regulation 24 arrangements to present to Fostering Panel and Special Guardianship Order applications for children who are subject to Care Proceedings.

You will work to ensure that your assessments are completed within timescales and are of a good quality. You will also be responsible for developing robust support plans for these arrangements.

About you

You will need to communicate well and you will be expected to maintain good working relationships across Children's Services and with other agencies as well as developing good working relationships with Kinship carers.

Rewards and benefits

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too. We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working. We offer some of the very best learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 33 days, as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.

Would you like to know more?

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Sam Phillips, Assistant Team Manager on 07584909494 or samantha.phillips@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Ourcommitmentto:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.

Ourcommitmentto:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a DisabilityConfidentemployer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are alsocommittedto helping andsupportingthose transitioning from HM ArmedForcesto civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Ourcommitmentto:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council arecommittedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers tosharethiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Ourcommitmentto:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact: samantha.phillips@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Job description

Job responsibilities

About us

The Kinship Matters team sits within the Fostering Service. We have a designated Kinship team covering the three areas of the county. They will be line managed by either an Assistant Team Manager or the Team Manager who oversee the Kinship Matters team.

About the role

We are looking for a committed Senior Practitioner for our Kinship Matters team. You will be responsible for assessing Regulation 24 arrangements to present to Fostering Panel and Special Guardianship Order applications for children who are subject to Care Proceedings.

You will work to ensure that your assessments are completed within timescales and are of a good quality. You will also be responsible for developing robust support plans for these arrangements.

About you

You will need to communicate well and you will be expected to maintain good working relationships across Children's Services and with other agencies as well as developing good working relationships with Kinship carers.

Rewards and benefits

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too. We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working. We offer some of the very best learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 33 days, as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.

Would you like to know more?

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Sam Phillips, Assistant Team Manager on 07584909494 or samantha.phillips@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Ourcommitmentto:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.

Ourcommitmentto:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a DisabilityConfidentemployer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are alsocommittedto helping andsupportingthose transitioning from HM ArmedForcesto civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Ourcommitmentto:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council arecommittedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers tosharethiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Ourcommitmentto:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact: samantha.phillips@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

  • Please refer to job description above

Desirable

  • Please refer to job description above
Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

  • Please refer to job description above

Desirable

  • Please refer to job description above

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Oxfordshire County Council

Address

Kidlington

OX5 2BP


Employer's website

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxfordshire County Council

Address

Kidlington

OX5 2BP


Employer's website

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Recruiter

Gina Asare-Attrams

VPB7366518.1286@vacancyposter.com

01865816000

Details

Date posted

02 January 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£46,142 to £49,282 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

VPB7366518

Job locations

Kidlington

OX5 2BP


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