Child and Family Social Work Practitioner
Job Summary
Working Pattern:
Full time
Advert Start Date:
07/03/2022
Advert End Date:
Closed for applications on 30/05/2022 23:59
Salary:
Grade I/J £34,473 - £40,480 (which is inclusive of a 5% recruitment and retention allowance)
Job Category:
Social Care - Children Service
Employment Location:
Gateshead
Further Information
We are looking to recruit a Child and Family Social Worker for the Social Workers in Schools (SWIS) scale-up programme run by ‘What Works for Children’s Social Care (WWCSC) and funded by the DfE.
Gateshead Children’s Services is an Ofsted “Good” rated local authority and in a recent Focussed Visit in September 2021, inspectors told us that
‘Gateshead's highly skilled, committed and caring social workers and their managers in the front door teams provide sensitive, innovative child-centred help and protection to most children seen during the visit. Continuously strong, ambitious and effective senior leadership has resulted in sustained improvements.
Closely aligned, mature professional partnerships work together effectively to safeguard children from harm.
There is consistent and commendable evidence of continuous innovation and improvement during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Senior leaders are fittingly proud of their staff's commitment and determination throughout this period to see vulnerable children and their families face to face.
Staff report that they feel valued in their work and professional development and that their personal well-being is prioritised.
Despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, a strong culture of outward-looking, continuous learning and accountability means that Gateshead can continue to innovate, and would like to appoint more staff to take forward the new initiatives
The Social Workers in Schools programme aims to embed social workers in secondary schools to reduce referral rates to children’s social care (CSC), and reduce the numbers of Section 17 or Section 47 investigations, along with the overarching aim of reducing the number of children in care and improving educational attainment. It is hoped that this will also promote better inter-agency working between schools and the children’s social care system.
Each SW is based in one school but the whole team work together, meet regularly and report to one supervisor. Here are some of the expectations:
Social workers will be attached to one secondary school each and may work with feeder primary schools.
Social workers should be physically based in schools as much as possible and integrated into the life of the school.
Social workers will be employees of the local authority, and should retain regular supervision, contact and training from the local authority.
Social workers should be conducting statutory social work as the main focus of their work, holding cases and working with children and families from their school.
Social workers should also work with staff in the school to develop a deeper understanding of safeguarding and child protection, and to increase mutual understanding of the goals and ways of working of both schools and social care.
Job profiles are aligned to the Knowledge and Skills Statement for social workers and the salary offer reflects the calibre of applicant we are looking to attract. The successful applicant will join a highly effective and motivated team who are committed to continuous improvement following our 'good' Ofsted judgement in May 2019.
The successful applicant will have significant experience of practicing statutory child-care social work in a multi-disciplinary way in addition to having knowledge of statutory and organisational contexts, corporate parenting responsibilities and Government policy contexts and drivers. You will have experience of practising Social Work in a statutory setting and within statutory frameworks, applying legislation frameworks and statutory guidance.
They will have demonstrable skills in planning and delivering interventions with complex and challenging families, formulating plans and interventions targeted at affecting change, coupled with the ability to analyse and evaluate complex situations and risk. In addition to this they will also have experience in responding to issues of separation and loss for children and young people and have worked intensively with families and children who are at risk of harm.
Their knowledge base will demonstrate a sound understanding of social work legislation, assessment and social work methodologies, including an awareness of systemic approaches. You will also have knowledge of child development across the age group and inhibitors to growth and development.
You must have knowledge of child protection and multi-agency responsibilities
Successful applicants will be empathic, enabling and resilient, with a 'can do' approach. They will be comfortable in reaching evidence-based decisions and able to exercise professional authority appropriately. They will be team players with a proven ability to work constructively with other professional groups.
Our aim is to achieve the best possible outcomes for our children and young people. Our staff offer includes a range of training and development opportunities to equip workers with the tools to achieve the highest standard of practice. Our culture recognises the value of our staff by supporting social workers through reflective supervision, accessibility to senior managers and manageable caseloads.
It is essential that you have a recognised Social Work qualification and PQ training, and are registered with Social Work England with relevant demonstrable experience post qualification. A current driving licence and access to a car or means to mobility support is also an essential requirement of the post. If successful you will need to apply for an enhanced Disclosure.
As an employee of Gateshead Council, you will receive a generous annual leave package (increasing after 5 years), be a member of the Tyne & Wear Pensions Fund and be eligible to access a range of employee benefits such as the child-care benefit scheme and annual leave purchase scheme as well as a variety of staff offers and discounts.
If successful you will be required to apply for an enhanced Disclosure.
During the selection process candidates will be assessed against the Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities as set out in the job profile.
If you would like further information regarding the post, please contact Christopher Walker on 0191 433 2523 for an informal discussion.
Online applications only at www.gateshead.gov.uk
Please note
This job is closed for applications.