Practice Supervisor

Overview

Shape practice. Support careers. Make a lasting difference in Adult Social Care.

Are you an experienced Social Worker with a passion for developing others, strengthening professional practice and helping colleagues build confidence in their careers? This is an exciting opportunity to join Buckinghamshire Council as a Practice Supervisor within our Adults and Health Directorate, supporting the growth of our Learning and Well-Being Hub.

In this county-wide role, you will play a key part in shaping high-quality learning, induction and practice support for social workers, occupational therapists, apprentices, students, newly qualified practitioners, returners to practice and internationally recruited colleagues. You will help create the conditions for people to thrive, ensuring they feel supported, challenged and equipped to deliver excellent, strengths-based support for adults across Buckinghamshire.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Our ambition is to keep residents and communities safe, deliver our Better Lives Strategy to support vulnerable adults and communities, and provide robust directorate strategy and governance support.

About the role

As Practice Supervisor, you will provide professional oversight, mentoring and practice support across a range of Adult Social Care learning pathways. You will work closely with operational teams, practice assessors, workforce learning and development colleagues and partner organisations to ensure learning programmes run smoothly, standards are maintained and colleagues receive the right support at the right time.

• Lead and support cohorts of newly qualified social workers, apprentices, students, returners to practice and other learners across social work, occupational therapy and social care pathways.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, reflective supervision and direct observations to help colleagues develop excellent professional practice.
• Oversee placement opportunities and support the development of portfolios, progress reports and evidence of learning.
• Deliver small group sessions on continuing professional development topics using a blended mix of face-to-face and online approaches.
• Work collaboratively across Adult Social Care, learning and development teams and partner agencies to promote high standards, effective communication and continuous improvement.

About you

We are looking for someone who brings strong professional credibility, sound judgement and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed. You will be confident supporting practice development, building trusted relationships and using your knowledge of legislation, professional standards and strengths-based practice to improve outcomes for adults.

• 
  A recognised Social Work or Occupational Therapy qualification and current registration with Social Work England or HCPC.
• Substantial experience in statutory adult social care or occupational therapy practice, including working with adults, families and partner agencies.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, professional frameworks, practice models and evidence-based approaches.
• Experience of mentoring, supervising, coaching or supporting learners, newly qualified practitioners or colleagues developing their practice.
• Excellent communication, assessment, analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to explain complex or sensitive information clearly.
• A commitment to reflective supervision, continuous professional development and maintaining high professional standards.

Please refer to the job summary for further details.

Other information

This a 12 month FTC/Secondment opportunity.

For further information, please contact the hiring manager [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/