We are a London Borough based in the southeast of London. With direct and easy access into central London, we also have the advantage of being on the borders of Kent with easy access to the Kent coast and the continent.

As a Council, we prioritise our responsibilities for children, young people, their families and carers. We are working to strengthen families, to enable them to identify their own solutions where there are difficulties, creating strong family networks and effective safety plans as the fundamentals to the protection and care of children.

We are one of ten ‘English Innovation Project’ (EIP) authorities, sponsored by the Department for Education, as we implement Signs of Safety, using it to strengthen professional practice and improve the long term outcomes for families and children. Relationships are at the centre of social work here in Bexley and practitioners want to come and be part of what we are trying to deliver.

As a Social Work Assistant you will be involved in contributing to assessments of children and their families, providing support and guidance to children and their families who are subject to Child in Need and Child Protection plans and undertaking specific pieces of work with families to support child and family plans. There will be opportunities to develop and facilitate group work and to take on lead responsibilities for specific areas of interest.

This is an excellent opportunity for candidates who have a relevant qualification, have had some experience of working with children and families and who are interested in further developing their skills and experience of working in a statutory Social Care setting with children and families.

Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

The Bexley front door / MASH is the single point of contact for professionals or the public where there are concerns about children or young people and their families which need a coordinated response. You will work within a multi-agency staff group consisting of police, social workers, education/ health professionals and Early Help professionals, ensuring that those children and families referred to the Bexley Front door/MASH get the right help at the right time from the right service.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service

What we offer:

• Career Average Revalued Earnings Pension Scheme
• Performance Related Pay
• 23 days Annual Leave (rising to 27 after 5 years’ service) plus Bank Holiday Entitlement
• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme
• An excellent working environment at our fantastic new offices
• Opportunities for flexible working with excellent ICT facilities
• MyChoice Staff Benefit Scheme – Includes Childcare Vouchers, Cycle to Work Scheme, access to high street shopping vouchers and online discount codes.

Your Application:

• Closing Date for your application: 09/03/2020
• CVs will only be accepted if submitted with a completed application form.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This post is considered by the authority to be a customer-facing position; as such it falls within scope of the Code of Practice on English language requirement for public sector workers. The council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the JD/Person Specification. These will be applied during the recruitment/selection and probationary stages. 

In order to apply for this vacancy, you must be able to supply the required answers to the following questions:

• Do you have a Bexley employee number?