Job Introduction
Working for the Bradford Children and Families Trust offers the opportunity to work with some great people who are passionate about delivering change in a city whose culture offers as much diversity as it’s geography. You can make a real difference to families and children and be an active part in delivering the service Bradford families should receive.
We are fully committed to equal opportunities, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.
About the Role
You will lead a compliant and effective student and Practice Education programme in Bradford, contributing to admissions, curriculum, teaching, and assessing students’ readiness to practise. You will be accountable for practice quality, setting standards, creating the conditions for effective social work, and supporting staff through motivation, mentoring, and practice development aligned to the Children’s Services performance framework. You will also work with the Principal Social Worker, Workforce Development Manager, and Bradford Teaching Partnership to develop a sustainability plan that strengthens social work training and recruitment and ensures high‑quality interventions for service users.
Our strategic vision and values are upheld across the Trust, fostering a reliable and supportive environment for both staff and the children in our care.
Our approach is rooted in restorative and relational practice, fostering trust, mutual respect, and meaningful relationships with children, families, and professionals.
You’ll also:
- Lead the full student and practice education programme from recruitment through endorsement, including maintaining accurate student and practice educator data to meet workforce demand.
- Design and deliver training and support for workplace supervisors, students, and practice educators to ensure understanding and compliance with the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
- Work collaboratively with the Teaching Partnership, contributing to workstreams, teaching sessions, and aligning the programme with Adult Services requirements.
- Build and maintain support networks across departments and partner agencies for students and practice educators.
- Oversee quality assurance of student assessments and reports, implementing checkpoints, action plans, and liaising with HEIs to ensure standards are met.
- Provide practice supervision, mentoring, and observations for practice educators, particularly those undertaking Stage 2 accreditation.
- Develop a sustainability model to support workforce planning and future cohort recruitment.
- Chair action plan meetings and support students at risk of not meeting PCF requirements.
- Contribute to the creation and annual review of the student handbook and report templates; work with regional/national partners to share best practice.
- Lead and support Learning & Development projects, delivering training and promoting best practice across social work teams.
- Provide expert professional advice, coaching, or mentoring within the organisation and participate in professional or service planning groups.
- Maintain compliance with legislation, policy, and professional standards; identify and meet own CPD needs.
To be successful in this role you will need:
- Comprehensive knowledge of social work practice and legislation, including safeguarding.
- Experience of supporting the learning and development of others practitioners to improve practice and have a positive impact on outcomes of service users including the development of students, newly qualified social workers and other practitioners.
- Stage Two Practice Educator Qualification.
- You must be organised, efficient and able to work on your own initiative as well as within tight time schedules
- Recognised Social Work Qualification with 3 years experience post qualification with a minimum of six months as an experienced social worker.
- Advanced IT skills – Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel are required as well as excellent time management and multi-tasking skills
You’ll also be joining an organisation that truly values its people, offering a range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and work-life balance, including:
- Generous annual leave - 31 days rising to 34 with service, plus bank holidays
- Excellent Local Government pension
- Family-friendly policies and enhanced parental leave
- Health & wellbeing support, including Occupational Health and counselling
- Professional development and career progression opportunities
- we are a National Living Wage employer
For full details of our benefits, please see ‘Our Benefits’ brochure.
Bradford Children and Families Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.
If shortlisted, you will be required to disclose relevant information regarding criminal history prior to interview.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check including a check against the Children’s barred list, will be carried out on preferred candidates.
To arrange an informal discussion, please contact anna.culver@bradfordcft.org.uk.
Closing Date: 22nd March 2026
Interviews: To be arranged
