Birmingham Children's Trust
TESS Therapeutic Senior Social Worker
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TESS Therapeutic Senior Social Worker
Therapeutic & Emotional Support Service (TESS) – Therapeutic Senior Social Worker
Full-time posts at 36.5hrs Grade D
About TESS
TESS is Birmingham Children’s Trust’s emotional wellbeing and therapeutic service, supporting:
- Children in care
- Care-experienced young adults (up to age 25)
- Unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people
- Their parents and carers
Key areas of focus:
- Assessment
- Individual and group therapeutic interventions
- Consultation and care-network support
The Early Support pathway within TESS delivers timely, short-term therapeutic intervention to:
- Strengthen placements
- Stabilise care responses
- Address emotional needs at the earliest possible stage
Additionally, there is a focus on the Under 12s Project, aimed at helping children aged 12 and under transition from residential care into stable, family-based placements.
This service is fast-paced, creative and highly relational, with practitioners providing:
- Short-term, focused therapeutic work for children and young people
- Early relational support to parents, carers and residential teams
- Consultation and guidance for broader care networks
- Trauma-informed practice advice on care responses and emotional regulation
- Collaborative early formulations to guide planning and future interventions
The Role
We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Therapeutic Social Worker to join the Early Support pathway within TESS. This role combines:
- Direct therapeutic work with parents/carers and children
- Short-term interventions with young people
- Trauma-informed consultation for the professional and care network
Key Responsibilities
As a Therapeutic Social Worker with TESS, you will:
- Deliver high-quality, trauma-informed, attachment-focused interventions
- Provide early and brief therapeutic support to:
- Children and young people
- Parents, carers
- Residential staff
- Offer consultation, advice, and emotional support to the care network
- Contribute to therapeutic assessments and early formulations, along with care planning
- Use creative engagement methods, including:
- Play-based
- Relational
- Non-traditional approaches
- Support emotional regulation, resilience, and stabilisation
- Collaborate across multi-agency networks, including:
- Social care
- Health
- Education
- Residential services
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Person Specification & Requirements
We welcome applicants who:
- Have experience supporting children and young people in care
- Demonstrated (or are open to developing) therapeutic skills grounded in:
- Trauma-informed
- Attachment-based
- Relational approaches
- Can work with complexity, risk, and uncertainty confidently
- Value creativity, collaboration, and reflective practice
- Build strong, trusting relationships with:
- Young people
- Carers
- Professionals
- Are passionate about:
- Early support
- Short-term intervention
- Consultative practice
- Committed to evidence-based practice and ongoing learning
Applicants are expected to submit a supporting statement demonstrating how they meet these competencies (as detailed in the person specification).
Working Environment
You’ll join a well-established, multifaceted team that includes:
- Clinical psychology
- Systemic family therapy
- Play and art therapy
- Therapeutic social workers trained in:
- DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy)
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
- DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy)
- Foundations for Attachment Therapy
Support provided:
- Protected time for direct therapeutic work
- Access to training and CPD across therapeutic models
- Regular individual and group supervision
- A strong wellbeing and reflective practice culture
- Innovation and creativity encouraged by leadership
- A collaborative team culture grounded in trauma-informed relational practice
Why Join TESS?
This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful and early impact on the lives of vulnerable children and young people through:
✅ Early intervention and prevention – supporting emotional needs before issues escalate ✅ Creative, compassionate practice – applying trauma-informed and attachment-based approaches ✅ Part of a values-led service – collaboration, creativity and reflective practice is at the heart of the team ✅ Sustainable impact – helping young people and families stabilise and thrive
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Benefits & Support
At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we offer:
- Impactful work – contribute to transformative outcomes for Birmingham’s most disadvantaged children
- Supportive environment – a collaborative, values-driven culture where your contributions are valued
- Career development – tailored learning opportunities, supervision, and professional growth
- Competitive benefits:
- Generous leave allowance
- Local Government pension scheme
- Additional benefits
Our Values
We work with care and compassion, ensuring:
- Children and young people are actively involved in decisions affecting them
- Their voices are respected and heard
- Resources are used efficiently for maximum impact
- Strong cross-agency collaboration between:
- Schools
- Health professionals
- Police
We believe a unified and cohesive team ensures the best possible outcomes for children and their families.
Together, we can create a brighter future for them.
Safeguarding
At Birmingham Children’s Trust, safeguarding is a top priority. Depending on the role, you may be required to undertake:
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List).
- We strive for fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a conviction will not automatically disqualify you, dependent on the role and circumstances.
Please note: We reserve the right to close the application early once sufficient candidates are received. Submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid disappointment.
For further information, contact:
- Sherril Duffy, TESS Team Manager – Sherril.Duffy@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk
- Lee Vince, Head of Service – Lee.Vince@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk
Help us change lives!
Join Birmingham Children’s Trust to contribute to a values-driven mission: ensuring over 10,000 children and young people in Birmingham are safe, happy and healthy each day.
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