Senior Practitioner, HMP Castle Huntly, Longforgan - PKC14294


Company:	Perth and Kinross Council
Salary:	£51,524 to £55,504 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Longforgan, DD2 5HL
Working pattern:	Hybrid
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	2 Oct 2026
Closing date:	18 Oct 2026

Apply for this job

Summary

Main Purpose of the Role

Working within Perth & Kinross Council is more than a job, it's about being part of something meaningful. It's about being part of an organisation that puts people at the heart of all we do and provides opportunities to make a real difference by enhancing every life we touch.

We currently have the following opportunity:

Senior Practitioner - PKC14294

£51,524 - £55,504

HMP Castle Huntly

The Social Work Team at HMP Castle Huntly is seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Practitioner to join our dynamic team supporting individuals in custody as they progress through their sentence and prepare for successful reintegration into the community.

Based within Scotland's only open prison, HMP Castle Huntly offers a unique and rewarding social work environment where rehabilitation, risk management and multi-agency partnership working are central to achieving positive outcomes. As Senior Practitioner, you will play a key role in the assessment, management and supervision of individuals convicted of serious offences, including those subject to MAPPA arrangements. You will undertake complex risk assessments, contribute to case management processes, prepare reports for key decision-making forums and support individuals to reduce their risk of reoffending.

Alongside direct practice responsibilities, you will provide professional leadership and support to colleagues, contribute to service development, promote high standards of practice and help ensure that statutory responsibilities are fulfilled effectively. You will work closely with Scottish Prison Service staff, criminal justice social work, health care services and other partner agencies to facilitate safe progression through the criminal justice system.

This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified and experienced social worker seeking to further develop their expertise in criminal justice social work, risk assessment/management, public protection and leadership. Perth and Kinross Council offers a supportive work environment, commitment to continuous professional development, flexible working arrangements (including home working) where operationally appropriate, access to professional training, generous annual leave entitlement and membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

If you are passionate about reducing reoffending, promoting desistance and supporting positive change while protecting the public, we would welcome your application.

Please note, we are currently unable to offer sponsorship for this post.

Skills & Experience Required

We are looking for a highly-skilled and confident practitioner who can demonstrate significant post-qualifying experience within criminal justice, public protection protection or a related social work setting.

The successful candidate will have:

Experience of undertaking complex assessments and managing high-risk/high-profile cases.

Knowledge and experience of risk assessment and risk management frameworks relevant to individuals convicted of sexual and violent offences.

Strong analytical, report-writing and assessment skills, with the ability to produce high-quality professional reports for a variety of audiences.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling effective engagement with service users, colleagues and partner organisations.

Experience of providing professional advise, guidance or informal supervision.

A good understanding of relevant legislation, policy and guidance relating to criminal justice social work, risk management and public protection.

The ability to work independently, exercise sound professional judgement and manage competing priorities effectively.

A commitment to relationship-based, strengths-focused and trauma-informed practice.

Personal qualities we are looking for include resilience, emotional intelligence, professional curiosity, integrity and a genuine commitment to supporting rehabilitation while maintaining a clear focus on public protection.

Application and Recruitment Process

Applications should be submitted through MyJobScotland.

Interviews are anticipated to take place shortly after the closing date. Successful candidates will be required to undergo the appropriate pre-employment checks, including PVG scheme membership and relevant security clearance requirements associated with working within a prison establishment.

Applicants must possess:

A Degree, Diploma or equivalent professional qualification in Social Work.

Registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

Eligibility to practice as a qualified Social Worker in Scotland.

Membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, or willingness to join prior to starting the role.

Desirable Qualifications and Training

Post-qualifying training in risk assessment and management frameworks

Management or leadership development qualifications

Training relevant to public protection, sexual offending, violent offending or MAPPA processes.

Working at Perth & Kinross Council

Our

values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our

key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our

values and behaviours

. Find out more about

Perth & Kinross Council

and you could soon be joining our team!

Here's what we can offer

you:

A generous

annual leave package (including public holidays)

Eligibility to join our

pension scheme

Family friendly and positive work/life balance policies such as

Flexible Working,

Maternity, Paternity & Adoption leave,

time off for volunteering and our

Wellbeing Framework

Flexi time

Access to a range of

benefits

Paid PVG Scheme Membership

We recognise there can be benefits to

flexible working and where individual jobs allow, we seek to support this. You are encouraged to discuss potential options with the recruiting manager, if this is of interest to you. A healthy work life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and, where possible, flexible working arrangements to help you achieve that balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.

All new employees have a four-month probationary period. Further details are available in the FAQs at “

How to apply for a job or apprenticeship with us”.

Next Steps

We would love to hear from you and would encourage you to get in touch with Ross McCormack, Social Work Team Manager on his email address: RMcCormack@pkc.gov.uk to find out more.

Click “APPLY NOW”

External candidates are required to provide

2 references, including email addresses. One of these must be your current or most recent employer.

We welcome applications from everyone and as a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to interview applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential requirements of the post. Please contact the the hiring manager above or the Recruitment Team on (01738) 475555 or

recruitment@pkc.gov.uk to discuss any reasonable adjustments. Appointments are based on evidence supplied during the selection process.

Diversity is important to us and although some of our jobs may be perceived to be traditionally gender specific, we welcome applications from everyone and would encourage you to apply if you meet the job requirements. That includes welcoming applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.

Working with children and/or protected adults is regarded as a regulated role and under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 you will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check and maintain your membership.

If you have lived overseas for a period of 12 months or more (continuous or total) within the last 10 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check.

A confirmed offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of the above mentioned mandatory pre-employment checks (including references) and will also include eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and fitness to undertake the post.

Apply for this job