Senior Social Worker - Family Support & Safeguarding

Posted 10th Sep, 2024
Location
Barking and Dagenham
Salary/rate
£47,532 – £50,574
Hours
Full-time
Working arrangements
Blended
Contract type
Permanent
Closing date
5th Jan, 2025
About the role

We are looking for Senior Social Workers to join our Family Support and Safeguarding Service. We pride ourselves on our relationship-based approach to social work and ensure that our children and young people are at the heart of all we do. The FS&S Service aims to secure a permanent solution for all the children we work with, where intervention is needed to ensure children are safe and able to achieve to their full potential. Your role will be to work alongside families where child protection and child in need plans are in place, to support looked after children, and to escalate cases through legal proceedings when required, liaising with partners internally and externally to ensure that services are provided efficiently and effectively. You will manage complex cases, planning intervention and support in a timely manner and making sure that the children’s voices are heard and recorded consistently. You will participate in service development initiatives, deliver workshops, and complete audits, supporting the Team Manager in developing and improving standards. You will represent FS&S at internal and external meetings and will be confident in presenting information. Re-applying for posts Applicants who have not been shortlisted or who are unsuccessful at interview cannot reapply for the same job if it’s within 6 months of the first advert – for further information please refer to our Jobs and Career Page - ‘Working for us and Information for Applicants’ on our website.

We are putting the heart back into social work, supported by our relational practice model where we ensure the child’s lived experience takes centre stage. Ours is a culture of high support, high expectations and fair challenge. We need committed individuals to support us in the delivery of these aims and to become part of our team to make a difference to our children and families. In return we offer a competitive pay package, £2.5k Recruitment and Retention Allowance, generous pension and relocation package, annual leave up to 31 days, excellent opportunities for career progression, whether you want to broaden your experience as a social worker or step into management, investment in your learning and development as well as a commitment to your wellbeing. We are currently reviewing our pay and benefits offer. The details in this advert reflect the offer that is in place at the time of this recruitment campaign.

About you

We welcome applications from qualified and experienced candidates. You will need to have a Social Work degree and have completed your ASYE. You will need to hold Social Work England registration. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and a comprehensive screening process will be undertaken on successful applicants including an Enhanced Children’s Department of Barring Services check.

You will be an experienced social worker able to work independently and to offer support to less experienced colleagues. You will have a commitment to building relationships with children, young people, and their care givers and using this approach to effect change. You will have experience in implementing child protection and child in need plans, always focusing on the child’s lived experience. You will be escalating cases through legal proceedings when required and supporting looked after children through to permanency. The work involves liaising with partners both within and without the council as necessary to ensure that services are provided efficiently and effectively and always focus on the best outcome for the child or young person. Ideally you will hold a post qualifying award and will want to be involved in supporting students.