Job Introduction
Our Social Workers make a huge difference to the lives of people across our county. They take pride in supporting children and families and we’re equally proud to help them give their best in whatever ways we can. That’s why you can expect everything from agile and flexible working options to exceptional learning and development if you join our team. You can also expect our commitment to creating the best service we can.
We’re determined to uphold the highest standards and drive continual improvement and learning. That’s why we’ve recently gone through an exciting transformation, underpinned by a restorative practice model, which focuses on keeping families together through a community-based approach. If you’ve not worked in this way before, don’t worry – we’ll give you full training to bring you up to speed.
Working with us means collaborating across our different teams, and sharing best practice, knowledge, and experience to continually improve the way we do things. Support is important, as we work in a big county with some diverse challenges – but together we can meet all kinds of needs and demands.
For more information about this role please call Team Manager Sarah Lovatt or Gareth Walker on 01782 296290 or you can email gareth.walker@staffordshire.gov.uk
Main Responsibility
Working in one of 3 Assessment and Staying Together Teams covering Newcastle and Kidsgrove you will be working with families across the continuum of need from Child In Need through to the conclusion of Care Proceedings.
Working within a District Model you will work closely with your colleagues in Early Help, Children in Care and Care Leavers and Children with Disabilities Team. As well as our colleagues in health and education.
- You will be responsible for completing your statutory duties in co ordinating the child’s plan, reviewing and ensuring that our children are seen and heard.
- Undertake section 47 investigations
- Undertake placement of children into Local Authority care, when it is agreed they can no longer remain at home
- Be responsible for the completion of both Private and Public law reports
- Be responsible for referring into our centralised services for specialist support/ services.
The Ideal Candidate
You’ll need to be:
- A qualified Social Worker
- Registered with Social Work England.
- To have a current UK driving licence and vehicle
But above all, you’ll bring the desire to work with children and families to give them the right support, at the right time with the aim of keeping families together where it’s safe to do so.
For an informal chat about the role, please contact Sarah Lovatt, Team Manager or Gareth Walker on 01782 296290
Interviews will take place on Monday 2nd September 2024 at Castle House, Newcastle under Lyme.
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council:
Our Values:
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.
We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.
Our benefits:
We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire
Our recruitment process:
As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.
