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Social Worker - Children & Family Services

Employer
Leicestershire County Council
Location
Leicestershire
Salary
£32,491 – £39,514
Closing date
31 May 2022

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We have opportunities to join our skilled and supported workforce. We have vacancies in the following teams / service areas for experienced social workers:

  • First Response Children’s Duty at County Hall
  • Loughborough Fieldwork team
  • Coalville Fieldwork team
  • Hinckley Fieldwork team
  • Wigston Fieldwork team
  • Children with Disabilities team
  • Children in Care Service

We are looking for experienced social workers who have a minimum of 1 year post qualifying experience and those who have successfully completed the ASYE program.

As an organisation, we are committed to a strong and skilled workforce providing high quality services to the children and families of Leicestershire following our relationship-based Signs of Safety practice approach.  

If you are interested in a post with us read on………    
About Us  

At Leicestershire County Council we are committed to doing our very best for vulnerable children and families; working to make a positive impact on their lives so they can achieve their potential and flourish. 

We are proud of our Road to Excellence Plan which sets out our key values, behaviours and ambitions. We have embedded the Signs of Safety approach throughout our services and this approach mirrors our values of Aspiration, Being Curious and Collaboration. We are focused on working with families and the networks of family, friends and professionals around children, to work in collaboration to achieve shared goals.

As Children and Family department we are committed to our vision of becoming a trauma informed responsive department where we believe we are “stronger together” our culture is one of partnership where we look for solutions and recognise the potential impact of trauma on the children and families we work with and on our staff . We will strive to create a safe, compassionate, healing environment demonstrated through relationships based on trust, respect, hope and empathy. We will achieve this through a spirit of curiosity, by nurturing connections through relationships, making a deliberate effort to know and understand people, and by providing hope for growth and recovery.

We are committed to supporting and empowering our staff to be the best workers that they can be. We will give you the support ad resources that you need to work in collaboration with children and families.

We are focused on being an inclusive department where a culture to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion is imbedded and discrimination challenged at every level together as a department and as Council.  We warmly welcome applicants from black, minority, ethnic (BME) communities, disabled people and lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities, as they are currently under represented within our workforce - this diversity is vital to our journey and is fundamental to our values and enriches the service we offer our Children and Families.

We want all our staff to be inspired to go the extra mile. We are doing our best to create the sort of culture where practice excellence can flourish. We want to learn from what works, as much, if not more, than from when things go badly – we are ambitious to create a true ‘learning organisation. So…

  • Every year we run three annual conferences for staff to come together and reflect and learn.
  • Every month each team sets aside time for team learning.
  • You will receive consistent, regular and reflective supervision
  • You will receive group supervision support
  • Twice a year our senior leaders take a week out spending time with social workers observing practice and talking to young people and parents and carers about their experience of services
  • All Social Work England registered workers have three extra Continuous Professional Development days over the year.
  • Our training offer to social workers is refreshed each year and is highly valued by our staff
  • We provide course and training to support workforce career progression including Practice Educator Awards, Aspiring Managers Program, and Social Work Apprenticeship Program.
  • We have a team dedicated to supporting practice excellence who work alongside practitioners offering monthly training and learning, coaching and mentoring to build practitioner confidence, 1:1 or group reflective case discussions, and other support to staff and teams that can be requested.
  • Our Practice Development Group is well established for practitioners to collaborate on practice development.
  • We have a Critical Incident Response service for staff which provides independent therapeutic support within 48 hours if you experience a significant traumatic experience within work.
  • We have a well-respected Wellbeing Service who provide specific support to staff when needed, but also offers events throughout the year.

In all service areas you are expected to work closely with colleagues across team and agency boundaries to ensure that families get the most appropriate level of support. Staff workloads are manageable, and are monitored and managed closely. Managers and staff all have regular monthly supervision and you will be supported in your practice by an experienced management team.

We are currently operating a hybrid model of working, which includes office working and working from home. You will be provided with equipment including a laptop and smart phone to enable you to complete your role. We utilise smarter and flexible working policies to support staff to fulfil their roles within flexible circumstances.

Our Teams:

First Response service (based centrally at County Hall) You will be joining a strong service which has benefited from investment and a comprehensive review pf process. Social Workers work across our screening and assessment groups with small staff teams of up to six. We have recently been granted funding for an extra team enabling us to achieve timely assessments and manageable workloads.   Our Social Workers are supported by a Senior Practitioner and a Team Manager in each team who work to ensure that incoming work is carefully considered and decision making robust and child focused. The Service Manager focuses on quality, standards and performance.  

Locality Fieldwork Teams (based North and South of the County over 4 locality offices at Hinckley, Coalville, South Wigston and Loughborough) You will be joining a service which provides a locality-based offer to children who are subject to Child in Need and Child Protection plans including where Court proceedings are instigated.  A POD model is in place and you will have the support of Team Managers and Senior Practitioners. You will practice using the Signs of Safety approach and will be provided with training. Additional support services are in place to enhance the quality of intervention provided by the social workers in this service area.  A locally based Service Manager provides oversight and guidance on high risk cases and provide focus on quality, standards and performance across the locality. 
 
Children in Care and Care Leavers Service (based centrally at County Hall)  
The children in care service works across Children in Care, Care Leavers, 16+homeless teenagers, and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children. This service provides support and advice to children and young people throughout their time in care to enable them to make positive life choices. The teams are made up of senior practitioners and social workers as well as personal advisers and support workers. 

Disabled Children’s Service (based at County Hall)This is a county-wide service working with disabled children who are supported as Children in Need; children subject to Child Protection Plans; children who are Looked After; young people making the transition into Adult Services.  Staff in the service are social workers, childcare support workers, occupational therapists.  Staff across all SEND services work closely together to support disabled children and their families.

        Who we are looking for:

  • You will be an energetic and enthusiastic worker who demonstrates enthusiasm and passion for practice.
  • You will have experience of working in statutory children’s services and an in depth understanding of the interventions required to build safety and protect children from harm.
  • You will be able to evidence your skills and knowledge of creative, innovative and relationship-based social work, working in collaboration with families and professionals.
  • We want people who will help us to build a real culture of reflection and learning.
  • You have retained a strong interest in research and the evidence base for practice and are confident about how this can be used in practice
  • Ideally you will already be confident in the application of the Signs of Safety methodology but certainly in the value of relationship-based social work.

We hope this sounds like you!  
 
Our salaries are competitive:

  • Level 2 Social Worker £32,491 - £36,091 (this includes £3,283 market premia per annum)
  • Level 3 Social Worker £36,841 - £39,514 (this includes £3,283 market premium per annum) 

For more about working in Leicestershire go to: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/field/pdf/2017/11/9/working-at-leicestershire-county-council.pdf  

For further information about our services areas: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/education-and-children/social-care-and-supporting-families   

For more information about our current vacancies please contact Chelbie Shepherd including newly qualified vacancies Tel. 0116 3055973, Email: cfs-recruitment@leics.gov.uk

By the Way A Few More Benefits of working In Leicestershire….

  • Well regarded employee counselling services
  • Free car parking
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Paid SW registration
  • Lease car scheme
  • Option to purchase of additional leave
  • Discounts at high-street stores and supermarket shopping
  • Special offers on leisure activities and gym memberships

For further information about working for Leicestershire County Council, please click here.

We are on a journey to be an inclusive department where a culture to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded and discrimination challenged at every level together as a department.  We warmly welcome those from all cultures, ethnicities and beliefs - this diversity is vital to our journey and is fundamental to our values and enriches the services we offer our children and familiesWe particularly welcome applicants from black, minority, ethnic (BME) communities, disabled people and lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities, as they are currently under represented within our workforce.

If you have any technical issues completing your application form please contact https://emss.freshdesk.com/support/home

To apply please click the Apply Now link below.


 

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