Practice Development Lead


Company:	Hertfordshire County Council
Salary:	£48,226 - £53,460
Hours:	Part-time
Location:	Farnham House, SG1 2FQ
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	13 Jul 2026
Closing date:	11 Aug 2026

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Summary

Job Title: Practice Development Lead

Starting Salary:£48,226 + £7,146 market enhancement pay, progressing to £53,460 + £6,984 market enhancement pay per annum - Pay award pending

Hours: 37.0

Location: Stevenage

Contract Type: Fixed Term until 01st August 2027

Directorate: Children's Services

About the team

The Practice Academy is dedicated to fostering continuous professional growth across the social care workforce.Through bespoke training, targeted support, and development opportunities, the team equips practitioners—from students to experienced social workers—with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to deliver high-quality, child-centred services across Hertfordshire.

About the role

The Practice Development Lead plays a pivotal role in supporting all aspects of Social Work education across Children’s Services, including social work students, education routes, and Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) on their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).

This PDL role is specifically and primarily focused on coordinating the Step Up to Social Work programme across the Central Eastern Regional Partnership, with additional elements of assessing Newly Qualified Social Workers on the ASYE programme.Around 80% of the role is allocated to the Step Up to Social Work programme, with approximately 20% of the role being utilised for ASYE assessing activity.

The purpose ofthis role is to provide a strategic lead and manage the Step Up to Social Work programme for the Central Eastern Regional Partnership. This role is responsible for co-ordinating the programme and working with a number of key stakeholders including the Department for Education, universities, students and local authorities.You will be a leader in social work education and share good practice from the Step Up to Social Work programme to shape other social work education programmes including the Hertfordshire Social Work Teaching Partnership.

Due to the nature of the role, a minimum of 4 days or 30 hours per week will be required of the post holder.

Responsibilities include;

Step Up to Social Work Programme:

Lead the recruitment and selection of a diverse cohort of trainees, ensuring compliance with Department for Education (DfE) requirements, timescales, and social work suitability standards.
Provide high-quality support, guidance, and pastoral oversight to trainees undertaking the PG Diploma Step Up to Social Work programme.
Monitor, assess, and report on trainee progress, identifying and addressing issues promptly to support successful programme completion.
Build and maintain effective relationships with sponsoring agencies across the Regional Partnership to support programme delivery and outcomes.
Work with the line manager, Strategic Management Group, and Steering Group to identify and resolve programme delivery challenges.
Use data, insights, and feedback to identify trends, inform decision-making, and support the continuous development of the programme and local social work education.
Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role as agreed with the line manager, Strategic Management Group, or Steering Group.

ASYE programme:

Support the attraction, recruitment, induction, and successful completion of the ASYE programme for Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs).
Provide expert support, coaching, reflective supervision, training, and practice development to NQSWs through individual and group-based interventions.
Support Team Managers and practitioners supervising NQSWs, including developing policies, guidance, and resources to ensure ASYE requirements are met.
Develop, coordinate, commission, and deliver the ASYE training programme, working with external trainers and partner agencies where appropriate.
Undertake and support assessment of NQSWs against the Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) for Child and Family Social Work.
Provide coaching and mentoring to NQSWs, experienced practitioners, and managers to promote professional development and high-quality practice.

About you

General Essential Criteria:

Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
Qualified Practice Educator (or currently working towards the qualification) with evidence of supporting and assessing social work learners.
Extensive knowledge and experience of children's social work within a local authority setting.
Experience of assessing, supporting, and developing social workers at a post-qualifying level.
Willingness to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends, to support national and regional programmes.
Ability and willingness to travel throughout the Central Eastern Partnership region and beyond, as required.
Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Essential criteria for Step Up to Social Work aspect of the role

Experience of designing and delivering learning and development interventions to groups.
Strong learning and development consultancy skills, including coaching, collaboration, presentation delivery, and the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.Knowledge of adult learning theory, employer-led curriculum development, and holistic assessment is desirable.
Highly organised, with proven project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, analyse information, solve problems, manage risk, and evaluate outcomes.
Experience of commissioning and managing external providers, with strong negotiation, contract management, and stakeholder management skills.
Experience of budget management, including forecasting, monitoring expenditure, and financial reporting.
Excellent administrative, organisational, and coordination skills, with experience of maintaining and analysing records to meet partnership and funding requirements.
Demonstrable experience of measuring and evaluating the impact of learning and development interventions on practice.

Essential criteria for ASYE aspect of the role

Proven experience of assessing, monitoring, and supporting Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs), including applying research to practice and providing reflective supervision.
Good knowledge of professional standards and their application within the ASYE assessment process.
Excellent communication, mentoring, and coaching skills, with a passion for supporting learners and enhancing social work practice.
Ability to produce high-quality assessments, reports, and other written work to agreed deadlines.
Experience of supervising and supporting learners, with a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 12. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contact [INPUT HIRING MANAGER] for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date:27th July or 28th July 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities.You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment

This role is open to secondments for eligible employees who work for HCC.If you wish to apply on a secondment basis, you must have your line manager’s approval before submitting your application. You will be asked to confirm this within your application form.If you are not eligible for a secondment (e.g., you are currently on a fixed‑term contract that would end before this positions ends) or you indicate that your manager cannot support a secondment, your application will be considered on a fixed‑term contract basis instead.

Additional information

We are changing

Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation.It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visithttps://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding

This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required

You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency

The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.

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About Disability Confident

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