Senior Practitioner
Fife Council · Leven, Fife, United Kingdom · onsite
Proposed Interview Date: Week Commencing 16 November 2026
Closing Date: Sunday 8 November 2026
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: FC9 £47,604.34 - £57,196.54
Working Pattern: 36 hours per week
Location: Leven
Supporting Statement
As part of your application, you must provide us with a Supporting Statement which outlines to us how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy. For more information, check out the How to Apply section of our Career Site. Without a Supporting Statement, your application will not be progressed. Please upload your Supporting Statement at the section marked ‘upload resumé’. Your Supporting Statement must not be a CV. More information is available on our Career site at www.fife.gov.uk/jobs/supportingstatement.
Job Details
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and compassionate Senior Practitioner to join our mother and Child Assessment and Support House.
This unique service provides intensive, family‑centred support designed to understand, enhance, and strengthen parenting capacity without requiring children to be placed in foster care. Our aim is to create a safe, nurturing environment where mothers and their babies can remain together, thrive and grow.
As Senior Practitioner, you will play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable mothers and their babies within a residential setting. You will provide:
- Specialist support, guidance and skilled observations to contribute to comprehensive parenting assessments.
- Professional analysis and judgement on parenting capacity, attachment behaviours and child development.
- Development and implementation of personalised support plans, ensuring risk is managed proactively and proportionately.
- Leadership within the staff team, fostering a warm, nurturing and therapeutic environment for families.
- Collaborative working with multi‑agency partners, representing the service at professional forums and advocating strongly for the needs and rights of both mother and child.
- Regulatory responsibilities, ensuring the service maintains high standards of care, safety, and compliance.
This role is central to helping families achieve stability, safety and long‑term wellbeing through evidence‑based, trauma‑informed practice.
Key responsibilities:
Leadership & Management:
- Provide day‑to‑day leadership within the Mother and Child Assessment & Support House.
- Oversee rotas, supervision, attendance management and team meetings.
- Chair meetings, manage professional communications and ensure the delivery of high‑quality care.
- Undertake quality assurance tasks including oversight of care plans, medication audits, budgets, and regulatory requirements.
Direct Support & Assessment:
- Ensure a nurturing, stimulating and emotionally attuned environment for mothers and provide high‑quality observations, assessment and analysis to support parenting capacity evaluations.
- Support families to understand and manage risk safely.
- Demonstrate empathy, compassion and an ability to look beyond presenting behaviours.
Collaborative Working:
- Work closely with colleagues, families and external agencies to meet the needs of both mother and child.
- Represent the service at multi-agency meetings and contribute to ongoing service development.
- Uphold safeguarding procedures and ensure The Promise Scotland principles are embedded in practice.
Operational Responsibilities:
- Maintain accurate and compliant records and documentation.
- Contribute to household tasks (e.g. cooking, cleaning, creating a homely environment).
- Undertake additional duties as directed by senior leadership, which may include oversight of another house.
The Person
We are looking for someone who brings:
- Significant experience of working with young people or families affected by adverse childhood experiences.
- Experience leading staff teams in a residential or similar environment would be highly beneficial but is not essential - we welcome applicants who can demonstrate the potential to develop into this aspect of the role.
- Strong understanding of attachment theory, trauma‑informed practice and child development.
- Relevant qualifications - Diploma in Social Work desirable but not essential, we will consider equivalent qualifications. You will hold an accredited post-qualifying award (e.g. Certificate in Child Protection, MHO Accreditation, Practice Teacher Award, etc.) or willing to work towards award.
- Registration with SSSC “Workers new to role must gain registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) within six months of start date in this role.”
- A full driving licence is preferred, or a willingness to travel throughout Fife using public transport.
- Commitment to the professional standards set by the SSSC and the Care Inspectorate.
Why Join Us?
This is a rare opportunity to contribute to a truly impactful service—one that supports mothers and babies to stay together safely, promotes positive attachment, and helps shape brighter futures. As Senior Practitioner, you will have a meaningful leadership role and the opportunity to influence practice, service development, and outcomes for vulnerable families.
Before confirming to your appointment, you will be required to obtain Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland and become a member of the relevant PVG scheme.
As this role requires SSSC registration, you will have three months to apply for registration.
If appointed, you must start your application as soon as possible so you're registered within the required six months.
If you need to achieve a qualification to maintain your SSSC membership, information will be provided if you are appointed. You must ensure you complete the qualification within the specified timeframe.
More details are included in the role profile.
Further Information
- Role Profile - When preparing your supporting statement, review the role profile and think about how you meet the essential criteria Role Profile
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- Employee Benefits - Employees have access to a benefits package that offers discounts on a wide range of products and services.
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For further information please contact: Laura Tannahill - Laura.Tannahill@fife.gov.uk