Advanced Practitioner Social Workers

Job Title: Advanced Practitioner, Children’s Social Care (FAST Teams)

Salary: £44,253 - £48,738 plus 15% FAST enhancement

Location: Lincoln, Louth (East Lindsey North), Horncastle (East Lindsey South), Grantham (South Kesteven West), Gainsborough (West Lindsey)

Closing Date: 6th December 2026

Interviews: 16th December 2026

We are currently looking for experienced, committed and innovative social workers to join our East Lindsey North and South, South Kesteven, West Lindsey and Lincoln teams.

Please specify on your application form which post you are applying to.

Are you an experienced, committed and innovative Social Worker? Do you believe that “Putting Children First” is the key to successful outcomes for children and families? If you can answer yes to both questions, then Lincolnshire County Council may just be the place you belong.

Our Children's Social Work teams are amongst the absolute best in the country. We have an overall Outstanding rating from Ofsted and in our recent inspection in April 2023 we maintained this judgement which we are very proud of. We are not about to let up on our progress and development though! As an organisation we are extremely proud of the work our teams undertake and this pride shines through from every member of the teams.

Our practice model is “Signs of Safety” and this is underpinned by a firm commitment to restorative practice, working in a way where the strengths of the family and their network are honoured and families are supported to develop their own solutions. Most importantly, we believe the voice of the child should be at the very heart of every plan.

About the Role of an Advanced Practitioner

As an Advanced Practitioner in our service, you will work with the most complex situations, managing high risk plans and undertaking a range of court work, including specialist assessments and interventions.

As well as case holding, our Advanced Practitioners provide mentoring, coaching, support and practice expertise to other less experienced team members inspiring them in their social work career paths. They also often choose to take up the opportunity we offer to become a Practice Educator for Social Work students. If you wish to progress into a manager role, as many of our Advanced Practitioners have done, being appointed to an Advanced Practitioner post with us will absolutely provide you with the development opportunities you need to fulfil your ambition and our new bridging the gap programme will further support your development to step up into a management role.

To learn more about our teams take a look at the attached Social Care Brochure.

We believe that supporting emotional resilience is always important, but particularly so when you are working with the most complex and challenging of cases.

You will receive monthly formal professional and case supervision, and take part in monthly group learning and team meetings with an annual team development day too. Our managers are always on hand, and our practitioners say that the informal, ad hoc supervision they receive, plus the support they get from colleagues to test out their thinking, is absolutely invaluable.

Your continued professional development will be as important to us as it is to you, and your learning and development will remain in focus, not just during your annual appraisal. Our offer of complimentary access to the Research in Practice online platform further demonstrates this. Alongside our excellent in-house training offer, you will also have the opportunity to complete fully funded PQ modules.

Along with a competitive salary of £44,253 - £48,738 +15% for FAST, we also offer;

At Lincolnshire County Council, we believe our people are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we offer a rewarding package designed to support your work–life balance, health and wellbeing, financial security, and career growth. Find out more about our offer to you in the attached brochure.

Closing date: 6th December 2026

Interviews: 16th December 2026

If you would like an open and informal discussion regards this role then please contact;

Paula Barnes (East Lindsey North) on paula.barnes@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Nikki Burgess (East Lindsey South) on nikki.burgess@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Victoria Webb (Lincoln) on victoria.webb@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Kathrina Barnard (South Kesteven West) on Kathrina.Barnard@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Claire Gill (West Lindsey) on Claire.Gill@lincolnshire.gov.uk

A relocation package may be considered for the successful candidate. More details relating to our Relocation Policy can be found here.

Please be advised that this position is subject to a criminal record check.

All candidates are advised to read the attached job information pack prior to making an application.

On occasion we receive significantly more applications than expected for some vacancies and under such circumstances we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the advertisement. We therefore strongly advise you to apply for the role promptly to avoid disappointment should the closing date be brought forward. Please also note: once an application is submitted, it is final and cannot be amended. If you withdraw your application, it cannot be reinstated and you will not be able to submit another application for that vacancy. If you have an issue with your submitted application, please contact recruitment@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.

Lincolnshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Our values – collaborative, adaptable, eco-conscious, supportive, and responsible – guide everything we do. We’re looking for candidates who share these values and bring them to life in their work, helping us build strong teams and make a real difference in the communities we serve.