Would you like to improve the outcomes for young people who have been in care?
Would you like to support young people to build bright and stable futures for themselves?
Would you like to spend every day at work knowing that you have made a difference in the lives of young people who face challenges with their mental health?
If yes, we have the perfect role for you!
Our Future First Care Leavers Service are looking to recruit a permanent Social Worker to act as Mental Health Specialist Personal Advisor in our Wandsworth Leaving Care Team at and play a central role in achieving positive outcomes for young people!
What does the team do?
The Wandsworth Leaving Care Team support young people aged 16-25 who have been in the care of Wandsworth Borough Council, under the Leaving Care Act 2000. We support them to build stable and successful independent adult lives by supporting them to access housing, education/employment, health, leisure activities, stable relationships, and support networks. A few our Care Leavers have diagnosed Mental Health issues and we are looking for a motivated and dynamic qualified Social Worker to join our team as the dedicated Mental Health PA.
We work with over 440 young people in a team which includes over 36 staff members. We are a vibrant and enthusiastic team looking for new people to join us! This year over 13% of our Young People went to university- we want to build on our successes!
What will your role be?
You will have a maximum caseload of 15 young people who have moderate to acute mental health issues, for whom you are their allocated Personal Advisor. You will be based at the Team Office at Falcon Grove (SW11) where we undertake both outreach and in-office work with young people under the Leaving Care Act 2000 and Social Work Act 2017. You will support young people on your caseload to develop a robust and detailed Pathway Plan that helps them achieve their goals. You will work alongside any allocated Adult’s Social Care Social Worker/Care Coordinators, to support the young person in achieving stability and engaging in appropriate mental health services and support.
Alongside our Therapeutic Service and our Transitions Social Worker within the team, you will be sharing good practice, liaising with Mental Health Services in the community and offering direct work which builds and strengthens Young People’s Emotional wellbeing and positive mental health.
The successful candidate will spend every day supporting young people to achieve their Pathway Plan goals, which will include some group activities at times as well as individual work.
To be shortlisted your CV and personal statement will demonstrate:
• You are a qualified Social Worker with experience of working with the Care Act 2014 and within Adult Mental Health Services.
• You can handle challenges and that you are committed to achieving positive outcomes for young adults who have been Looked After.
• You have experience working with young adults who have previously been Looked After and that you have a good knowledge of key legislation like the Leaving Care Act 2000 and Social Work Act 2017.
• You are motivated innovator who is committed to anti-discriminatory practice and who has experience of managing challenging adolescent behaviours and engaging hard-to-reach young people with mental health issues.
At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know.
Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!
We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 40 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.
In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.
Indicative Recruitment Timeline
Closing Date: Sunday 21st January 2024
Shortlisting Date: Monday 22nd January 2024
Interview Date: Monday 29th January 2024
Useful Information:
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. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible.
We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams, including males.
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).
Please refer to the Job Profile for full details on the original careers site.
Our social workers are at the heart of our success, and we’re looking for Social Workers who share and are excited by our vision. Come and be part of our success.
All children and families deserve an outstanding level of practice, let’s work together to provide them with the very best.
Our shared vision and values to improve outcomes for children and families will drive practice. Our outstanding practice framework will support us collectively to do that. We want to apply solutions to complex problems in the simplest way. Having a robust practice framework will enable a shared language, understanding and value base from which we can all work creatively with children and families to achieve the best outcomes for them.
We know that to recruit passionate, dedicated social workers - where there’s simply more demand than the available resource - we must show our appreciation in more tangible ways. That's why we have put together an attractive package for all our social workers.
In return for your skills, knowledge and experience, you will receive an appropriate starting salary and a friendly, kind, positive and supportive working culture.
We also offer:
Performance related salary progression scheme
32 days annual leave to all employees plus bank holidays
Relocation package for experienced social workers moving to London
Manageable caseloads
Agile and flexible working arrangements
Professional development and CPD opportunities
Regular reflective supervision and peer group supervision
Refer a friend scheme
Welcome payments and retention bonuses for harder to recruit to areas of our services
Social Work Career Pathway Framework
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. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.
We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
If you have any questions about applying for this role, please get in touch with Simi Sabo on simi.sabo@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk