Are you an experienced social worker looking for a new challenge?
Would you like to use your skills in a school setting to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Wandsworth?
If yes, we have the perfect role for you!
We are looking to recruit one exceptional social worker to join our social workers in schools.
The team was launched in April 2021 and following the success of the pilot it expanded in November 2021. We are now in 20 educational establishments across Wandsworth. The role will see you working directly with children and young people in their school setting, with teachers and other school staff. Although you will not hold a full caseload, you will have the opportunity to build relationships with pupils, staff and the wider school community in two schools, and you will forge links with services in the wider community.
No two days will be the same, and you will undertake a variety of different activities according to the particular needs of each school. You will work alongside the schools and your team manager to agree the appropriate interventions, activities and support you can provide which might include both helping pupils and families to access statutory support, as well as supporting those being stepped down from statutory intervention.
We are looking for individuals who can have a flexible and creative approach in order to make this a success by providing effective support to as many children and young people as possible.
To be shortlisted your CV and personal statement will cover following:
You are a qualified social worker with relevant systemic practice experience working with children and young people in care;
You can sensitively support children of different ages and lived experiences, and have the motivation to make a positive contribution to their lives;
You are able to plan and lead on initiatives focused on safeguarding children, with the confidence to implement these in a school setting.
You will ideally have an understanding of school settings and their educational context.
Working arrangements
Your working week will consist of 4 days working at schools and 1 day in the office.
Contact details
For more information about the role, please speak to Jo Loveless Joanne.loveless@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk and telephone number 0208 871 7472.
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 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: 11:59pm on Tuesday 31st October 2023
Shortlisting Date: Wednesday 1st November 2023
Interview Date: Friday 10th November 2023
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 and BAME candidates.
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 on the original careers page for full details on this role.
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