The Role

Are you passionate about working with children and families?

Do you want to work in a specialised residential-based setting?

Do you have good assessment skills that you want to develop and enhance further?

If yes, then we would encourage you to apply to our Social Worker role!

We are looking to recruit a permanent Social Worker to join our amazing team in Wandsworth and help play a central role in achieving positive outcomes for the children and families we work with! 

About the service

Our vision is to continue to be a well-respected service that produces fair, well written and evidenced based residential parenting assessments in a supportive and empathetic environment.

Falcon Grove Family Assessment Centre forms part of the Children Looked After Service within the Wandsworth Children’s Social Care Division. The division is led by energetic and supportive managers who are striving to continue improving and developing the service. You would have access to excellent training opportunities.

About the team

This is an exciting opportunity to join an established, successful and supportive team in Wandsworth’s only Residential Parenting Assessment Centre. The centre undertakes residential and community-based parenting assessments and interventions with vulnerable and at-risk children.

The successful candidate will work closely alongside a team of Social Workers, Family Assessment Workers and Residential Shift Workers to provide high quality parenting capacity assessments of children and their families involved in care proceedings, or where the local authority is considering the need for proceedings. You will be part of a core group of workers who can make a real day to day difference to the outcomes for children in our community.

About the role

The way we work with families is creative and very hands on, as we tailor make our assessments to meet the individual needs of each family. You will be required to support, teach and assess families as they develop their parenting skills and knowledge.  We are seeking a social worker with knowledge and experience of family assessment tools, methods and approaches.

The centre values high quality supervision and reflective practice, and this is supported both individually but also in group settings. You will be supervised by an experienced Assistant Team Manager (who is a qualified Social Worker). As a Social Worker, you will be expected to lead and contribute to high quality assessments.

To be shortlisted your CV and personal statement will demonstrate:

• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
• The ability to work in partnership with socially excluded families
• A proactive and energetic approach and a commitment to bringing about best outcomes for children.
• Key  understanding of the main concepts of the Children Act 1989 & 2004 and current legislation and guidance related to children’s services.

Due to the nature of our work you will need to be able to work flexibly and contribute toa duty / shift rota.

For an informal discussion about these vacancies please contact one of our Assistant Team Managers: Daniel De Jager (0774 893 7797), Odette Milsome (0778 617 3259) or Minakshi Sircar (0781 649 2090).

​​Benefits

The Shared Staffing Arrangement aims to be at the forefront of innovation in local government and the organisation will invest in your development and ensure the opportunities for progression that only a large organisation can provide.

In return, we can offer you working arrangements that will enhance your work-life balance including a generous holiday allowance of 31 days plus bank holidays (pro rata). In addition, we offer a range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts at many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments. A wide range of developmental opportunities is also offered.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

• Closing Date: 11:59pm on Thursday 10th December 2020
• Shortlisting Date: Friday 11th December 2020
• Interview Date: Thursday 17th & Friday 18th December 2020

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Equality Statement

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

How to apply?

To be considered for an interview your CV and supporting statement must address the requirements listed in the attached Job Profile located at the bottom of the advert.

•  Job Profile - Social Workers