Practice Educator

Job Introduction

This permanent, part-time role has a starting salary of £37,119 per annum based on a 28.80 hour working week pro-rata to £46,399 FTE.

Due to recent internal promotion, we are excited to be hiring a new Practice Educator - Surrey Children's Academy to join our fantastic New & Developing Social Workers - Student team based in Weybridge. This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between collaborating together in the office and working from home, or alternative office spaces.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days’ holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years’ service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

Surrey Children's Academy leads on work to support, guide and assess social work students and internal apprentices in their journey towards qualification, and contribute to our future workforce with Surrey’s residents and communities.

Practice Educators and Advanced Social Workers in our New & Developing Social Worker’s team work together to provide high quality learning experiences. We recruit and support student Social Workers on their placements in training, and also Newly Qualified Social Workers undertaking their first year 'Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)' and beyond. Our focus is to have the right support in place to enable a training Social Worker to learn, grow and develop in their early career. By doing this we are helping to ensure our workers are able to provide the best possible services to children, young people and families in Surrey.

On a day-to-day basis a Practice Educator within our New & Developing Social Worker’s team will be involved in the following:

• Liaising and working closely with a wide range of universities and training programmes to the benefit of the students, and teams, so that a variety of learning opportunities is offered during placements. 
• Providing support and assessment to students in accordance with the regulatory frameworks for practice education (Professional Capabilities Framework).
• Facilitating regular learning and support groups for those engaged in student social work programmes (students, apprentices, trainee & qualified Practice Educators)
• Leading on pieces of work linked to development programmes within the Academy for new and developing Social Workers.

The role involves a blend of coordination, administration, supervising and supporting others.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• You are a qualified Social Worker with experience of working in statutory children’s social work
• You have Practice Education qualifications and experience of supervising, teaching and assessing student Social Workers
• An understanding of different social work training pathways, including apprenticeship frameworks, would be helpful
• Commitment to supporting the next generation of Social Workers in their journey to qualification

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact the Surrey Children’s Academy by email at surreychildrens.academy@surreycc.gov.uk and you will be put in touch with the team manager.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on Wednesday 11th June, with interviews planned for week commencing 23rd June 2025.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.