Children's Senior Social Worker

Posted 18th Oct, 2024
Location
Southwark
Salary/rate
£47,043 – £54,135
Hours
Full-time
Working arrangements
Blended
Contract type
Permanent
Closing date
5th Jan, 2025
About the role

Full time, 36 hours per week.

Basic salary up to £54,135 per annum.  

Plus 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.

29 days Holiday – rising up to 36 days with continuous service.

We are currently seeking outstanding Social Workers, to join our Safeguarding & Family Support, Assessment & Intervention and Care/Care Leaver services, who have the professional potential and personal attributes that our families need, can share our commitment to improving outcomes for all children and young people and tackling injustice, inequality and racism.

About us:

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”.

“Staff enjoy working in Southwark. Their morale is high, and they appreciate the high level of support, the career progression opportunities, the learning and development offer and the ambition that the organisation has for them.” Ofsted, November 2022

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. Our endlessly supportive, collective, colleague-centred culture underpins everything we do to protect vulnerable children across our borough. You can read more about our approach, our offer to staff and our services at our website here

Your vital role:

We’ll assign you a manageable number of cases that allow your natural skills and expertise to flourish. You will:

  • Work directly with children and provide a clear and accurate assessment of the needs of the child and their family
  • Conduct interviews, develop observations and gather information from children, families and other agencies as directed by the Team Manager
  • Devise, implement and review plans, including the development and management of protection plans within a child protection framework, care and pathway plans.
  • Ensure all statutory responsibilities are well managed, including visiting children, arranging reviews and reporting to the court.
  • Carry out in-depth, ongoing evidence based assessment of complex needs and risks to children

What you bring:

We’re looking for impressive experience of direct social work with children and their families. You’ll also bring:

  • The ability to formulate and implement effective social work interventions
  • Experience of preparing reports and presenting these in contested court proceedings
  • The ability to provide professional guidance, support and development opportunities and contribute to organisational development
  • A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England
  • At least three years post qualifying experience in a social work role within a statutory setting, working with children and families, and attendance at appropriate training

This is an excellent opportunity to shine in an ambitious, well-resourced, well-regarded and stable social care environment.

Contact details:

If you would like an informal conversation about this role, please contact Dan Comach (Principal Social Worker) at daniel.comach@southwark.gov.uk

Additional information:

To apply complete the quick and simple application form on the link below.

For roles in our Assessment & Intervention and Safeguarding & Family Support teams, we are offering for a time limited period a Welcome Payment of £3000 for joining Southwark, followed by a retention payment of £2,400 per year for your first two years, and £3,600 after three years.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required at enhanced level.

Eligibility to work in the UK is required

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