Reunification Practitioner

The starting salary for this position is £33,552 per annum based on a 36 hour working week (full-time), pro-rata for part-time hours.

We are excited to be hiring a Reunification Practitioner to join our fantastic County wide Reunification Support Service (part of the Children Looked After Services).

We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for a minimum of 1 day per week in Woking and support working from home the rest of the time.

Our Offer to You

26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents. About the Team

At Surrey, we care that children have long lasting and positive relationships with their birth families. As such, we created the Reunification Support Service in 2022 which sees a small dedicated team of 4 Practitioners work alongside our Children Looked After Services to assess and support children to return home, where safe to do so. The Reunification Support Service became permanent in May 2024 due to the success of its work in reunifying children to their birth families. By joining us as a Reunification Practitioner, you will have the opportunity to be part of the team's on-going success.

About the Role

As a Reunification Practitioner your role will play a crucial part of our ambitious project to support Children Looked After to return to their families when it is safe for them to do so. The role aims to ensure early identification of children and young people who may be able to return home, completing analytical chronologies, personalised interventions for families such as targeted work to improve parenting, and supervising/observing family time, to support effective reunification. You will contribute to safety and transition planning alongside the allocated Social Worker and support parents and children through the reunification process, which tends to last 3-6 months. You will have the support, experience and oversight of a Social Work Team Manager.

While the role is currently based in Woking, the children being supported within the team may live elsewhere in Surrey or may reside outside of the area. Visits to work with children and families will be held at the best location for the child and their family and therefore you will need a willingness to work flexibly and have the ability to travel to meet the demands of this role. In particular we are looking for someone that can easily cover the East of Surrey.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills:

Experience of working within Children Looked After or other areas of children's services
An ability and the motivation to work directly with children and families
Understanding of relevant legislation affecting working with children, including the Children Act (1989) and the Children and Families Act 2014
A commitment to working with children to improve the quality of their lives
An understanding of the NSPCC Reunification Framework
Excellent written and communication skills and ability to use information technology wellSurrey has both urban and rural areas so you will need to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area and transport children where necessary. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 31 May 2026 with interviews planned to follow.

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.

Local Government Organisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to new unitary councils in April 2027. Your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of these new councils, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs