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Social Worker - Children in Care, Mid Essex

Employer
Essex County Council
Location
England, Essex, Chelmsford
Salary
£32787 - £44826 per annum
Closing date
22 Mar 2023

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Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

The Role

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda - one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We're immensely proud of our flexible working options.

The Opportunity

Children In Care (CIC) teams work with children and young people up to the age of 18 who are in care- they're unable to live at home and are either placed with foster carers or live in residential homes. They work with children and young people to ensure their experiences in care is a good one and that the work undertaken prepares them for their transition into leaving care or return home to family. The CIC teams receive cases in proceedings after the first hearing, they visit children and young people in placement, develop permanency plans which include SGO and adoption, undertake life-story work to enable a child to understand the reasons for being in care and also support children to return home to birth family.

Job Purpose Summary

Managing a defined caseload, the social worker is responsible for working effectively with children, young people and families/carers to achieve positive change and improved outcomes. This includes assessment, purposeful intervention through direct work and review in relation to Child Protection, Child in Need and Children Looked After, achieving permanency through care for Children in Care

Accountabilities

  • Assess, plan, review and provide support to a child, family or carer with complex family or social care needs, taking full account of appropriate legal frameworks, policy and guidance.
  • Assess family functioning, providing help and support, when relationship breakdown threatens to impair the health or well-being of children at risk of abuse or neglect.
  • Work collaboratively, building effective working relationships with other professionals, internally and externally to help children, young people and families improve and gain control of their lives when safety or ability to participate in their community is restricted.
  • Carry out an assessment or enquiry and plan responses to safeguard a child from abuse, neglect, or exploitation, building effective relationships with children, adults and families as appropriate, including intervention when information or circumstances suggest there may be a need to remove a child from their parents or carers.
  • Arrange appropriate alternative care (including, where appropriate a permanent home) in collaboration with children, young people and their parents/carers where the parents/carers cannot care for them.
  • Accountable for making recommendations about whether a case has reached the threshold for statutory intervention.
  • Promoting autonomy and development with individuals who have complex social needs and are more vulnerable as a result of trauma they have experienced.
  • Maintain up to date, accurate and high-quality records of activity on cases. Participate in a range of planning and decision-making forums including case discussions, strategy meetings, legal planning meetings, child protection conferences, statutory reviews.
  • Make a report to support an application for a care, adoption or other order as relevant.
  • Write court reports and give evidence in relation to children at risk during legal proceedings.
  • Assess people's suitability as foster carers, kinship carers (including Special Guardians), or adopters.
  • Working with communities, families and individuals to maximise or promote their personal strengths, social networks and resources.
  • Hold a caseload of children with varying and complex needs.

The Experience You Will Bring

  • Diploma or degree in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
  • Registration with Social Work England.
  • Demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards e.g. Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS).
  • Case recording.
  • Demonstrate ability in the application of SW knowledge, using emotional intelligence, analytical skills and act with confidence in challenging social and family situations.
  • A good working knowledge and ability to use information technology and related systems e.g. Word, SW case recording systems.
  • Required to work flexibly as required, including evenings and weekends if necessary.

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our 'No Magic' Children & Families video here

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England's oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest - Basildon and Harlow - are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found here pay and reward

To view our Organisational Behaviours information please follow this link.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here .

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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