Social Worker (Safeguarding & Family Support Service)

Posted 18th Oct, 2024
Location
Southwark
Salary/rate
£42,855 – £50,088
Hours
Full-time
Working arrangements
Blended
Contract type
Permanent
Closing date
5th Jan, 2025
About the role

Are you passionate about making a positive difference in children's lives in Southwark?

If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

We are looking to recruit social workers for our Safeguarding & Family Support Service and help play a key role in ensuring children in Southwark are safe and happy at home. If you're a qualified social worker with a passion for empowering children and families, we want to hear from you!

This role is full time, 36 hours per week.

About us:

Our Children's Services is dedicated to providing outstanding support to vulnerable children and families in Southwark. Our systemically-informed, relationship-based approach prioritises the needs of each child, working purposefully with families to manage risk, promote positive outcomes, and create lasting change.

Our most recent Ofsted inspection was graded as ‘good’ in all areas. The children in our care said we are a “special council and are like a family to them”.

About the team:

You will be joining a friendly team of dedicated professionals who share your passion for positive outcomes for children and families.

We want you to thrive in your role whilst being supported through regular one to one and group supervisions alongside having access to key development and training opportunities to grow as a social worker.

About the role:

We aspire to keep your caseloads manageable, allowing you to dedicate your full attention to the children and families who need it most. As a Social Worker or Senior Social Worker, you will:

  • Build positive relationships and work directly with children, their families and partner agencies – all under the guidance of our experienced Team Managers.
  • Run child in need and child protection plans, tailored to each child's unique needs and be the driving force behind positive change.
  • Experience of CP, CIN and Court work.

About you:

  • Current registration with Social Work England and a recognised social work qualification
  • Have passed your ASYE year
  • Ability to build positive relationships
  • Have knowledge of childcare legislation, child development, and risk/protective factors
  • Experience in direct social work interventions, investigations, assessments, and care planning
  • Ability to produce high-quality reports and manage complex information
  • Strong communication, analytical, and decision-making skills
  • Commitment to anti-discriminatory practices and promoting equality

How we can support you:

We have a diverse range of training courses, practitioners and teams to help support you so you can provide the best outcomes. We have Family Support Workers, a Keeping Families Together team, a Parenting Assessment Team that conducts specialised court assessments and a SWIFT / clinical service that specialises in delivering intensive therapeutic services to families.

We also have Practice Group Coordinators offer administrative support, including providing training on our database.

Pay and rewards:

In return for all your hard work, skills and experience, you will receive:

  • A competitive base salary
  • For roles in our Assessment & Intervention and Safeguarding & Family Support teams, we are offering for a time limited period a Welcome Payment of £3,000 for joining Southwark, followed by a retention payment of £2,400 per year for your first two years, and £3,600 after three years.
  • Strong supportive senior management team
  • Regular one to one supervision
  • Professional development & training opportunities
  • Clear career development pathways
  • Agile and flexible working arrangements

Contact details:

If you would like an informal conversation about this role, please contact Antoinette Johnson via email at Antoinette.Johnson@southwark.gov.uk

Recruitment timeline:

Advert close date: We will be reviewing applications on a weekly basis

Interview date/s: we have weekly interview slots available.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed interview scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

  • Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
  • Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
  • If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
About Southwark

We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities.  Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

At Southwark Children’s Services, we pride ourselves on doing our vital job differently. Our systemic, holistic, family-centred approach sits at the core of our values. And our endlessly supportive, collective, culture underpins everything we do to protect vulnerable children across our borough.

Southwark is a great place to grow and develop as a social worker. We continue to provide fantastic career progression opportunities. Supported by great partnerships and resources we are always growing and developing what we do through innovation, investment in our workforce and, most importantly, listening to children and families, and those that work with them.

Our offer to staff includes:

  • competitive remuneration packages

  • the opportunity to work in a vibrant borough in the heart of London with excellent access to Central London and easy transport links to the South East

  • a multi-cultural and diverse working environment, which provides excellent opportunities for enhancing your skills

  • modern digital plan with technology to support flexible working arrangements

  • professional development and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities through an established and extensive learning and development plan and opportunities.

  • opportunities to train as a Practice Educator and develop experience with student

  • clinical practitioners attached to every team to support you as an individual and your work with children and families.

  • culture of innovation and a ‘can do’ approach to problem solving in Social Care

  • stable, supportive leadership; Southwark has a lower ratio of workers to managers than most local authorities

  • small teams with supportive managers and manageable caseload

  • travel season ticket loans, cycle scheme, essential user care parking permits and local government pension

  • family friendly, flexible and agile working, from home or on-site

  • wellbeing programme, HSF Health plan and eye care scheme, EAP employee assistance programme, confidential counselling and support, and access to subsidised HSF health plan

If you are interested in having an informal discussion about this role, or working in children’s social care in Southwark, please contact Dan Comach, our Principal Social Worker at daniel.comach@southwark.gov.uk