Social Worker - Looked After Children Team

Posted 3rd Oct, 2024
Location
Kingston upon Thames
Salary/rate
£39,951 – £42,840
Hours
Full-time
Working arrangements
Blended
Contract type
Permanent
Closing date
30th Nov, 2024
About the role

We are offering a £3000 welcome bonus plus a £3000 annual market supplement for this role!

If you have a passion for promoting the best outcomes for children for whom we are corporate parents for and have a range of creative skills in engaging children of various ages then consider applying for a role whereby your efforts could have the difference to a young person!

 All social workers within the Permanency service are offered the opportunity to undertake meaningful direct work such as life story work and the work we undertake can make life long differences to their lives. We are looking for enthusiastic, committed social workers who have the passion and the drive to make a positive difference to children’s lives and can help motivate the networks around our young people to achieve excellent standards of care and support to our young people. 

AfC offers a hybrid way of working with the main office based in Kingston where you will support children and young people aged 0 to 18. 

About the role

The Social Worker will act as a corporate parent to our children and be the lead professional. It will be key for them to understand and champion the views and wishes of our children and young people so that they may be supported to reach their full potential.

This role will involve working alongside other professionals, to ensure that a child and/or young person receives appropriate care, education and health services, and any other support needed to ensure their needs are appropriately met.

The Social Worker will support children living with relatives, friends of foster families and prospective adopters or children living in children's homes and young people in semi-independent units. They will be responsible for ensuring their safety and supporting them towards independence by:

  • Undertaking regular statutory visits

  • Completing and updating assessments

  • Care Planning

  • Working as part of a professional network to meet the needs of the children and young people

About you

About you

The successful candidate will have the following:

  • Educated to a degree level with the relevant social work qualification

  • Appropriate understanding of statutory legislation for example the Children Act

  • Planning skills for assessing and reviewing children and young people’s needs and

  • planning packages of care across a range of cases

  • Experience in managing an allocated case load

  • A passion for Achieving for Children's vision, mission and values to support children and young people to live safe, happy, healthy and successful lives

About our benefits

We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:

  • 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month

  • Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC

  • Hybrid and mobile working (between home and work)

  • Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)

  • Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance

  • A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme

  • A range of staff benefits and discounts

  • An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway

About Kingston upon Thames

Achieving for Children (AfC) is a community interest company (a not-for-profit social enterprise) created in 2014 by the Royal Borough of Kingston and the London Borough of Richmond to provide their children’s services. In 2017, the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead joined AfC as our third owner.

We deliver the full range of children’s services for the three councils. Achieving for Children is a great place to work for those looking for a new challenge. Our offer to you includes:

  • A role in an organisation that is supportive

  • An induction offer that starts before you join and includes a welcome event on your first day of employment.

  • 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after two years and 35 days after four years

  • Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)

  • Hybrid or mobile working and the technology and equipment to facilitate this

  • Positions available in three of the most desirable boroughs in the south - discrete relocation packages are available for selected roles

  • Travel assistance package for business use, including car and cycle mileage reimbursement, annual season ticket loan or business Oyster cards

  • Two days accredited Signs of Safety Foundation Training

  • 12 protected Development Days each year for all staff

  • Access to a huge range of additional professional development opportunities as part of our regional Social Work Teaching Partnership

  • On occasions we are in the position to offer some additional financial payments for particularly hard to place roles in selected service areas of AfC.

If you would like to have an informal chat about working with us, please email recruitment@achievingforchildren.org.uk