Job Introduction
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Newcastle and Moorlands Children’s Disability Service as a Social Worker at a time where there is significant investment across Children’s Social Care.
We are committed to working with partners and families to support children and young people to be safe and secure, to promote physical and emotional well-being and to help them achieve their full potential within their communities.
We have 4 Children’s Disability teams across the county, and they provide specialist services for children and young people with complex disabilities. These are teams of highly dedicated Social Workers who support each other in the day to day task of ensuring we reach the best outcomes for our disabled children in a timely manner, enabling them to live their lives to the full.
We also are supported by a team of skilled Family Practitioners who assist in facilitating behaviour management work and undertaking direct work with children with disabilities and their families.
We are based at Castle House in Newcastle Under Lyme, covering Newcastle itself and the Moorlands. Hybrid working is supported, with a mix of being able to work at home and being part of the team in the office.
For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Leanne Woodvine: leanne.woodvine@staffordshire.gov.uk
Interviews will be held on the 11th and 12th June 2024.
Main Responsibility
As a qualified Social Worker, you will be based within a team of 9 Social Workers and 2 Family Practitioners. You will be expected to be a team player and hybrid working is supported, with a mix of being able to work at home, and being in the office as part of the team on some days also is expected.
The ability to engage and communicate with disabled children is essential and the successful applicant will be committed to ensuring the children on their work load receive the best quality service.
You will complete statutory duties in line with the Children Act 1989 including working with children under S.17, completing holistic assessments and Child in Need plans, identifying whether there is a need for a short break service and attending our monthly Disability Resource Panel.
We have had a small number of children on Child Protection Plans on the team and a small number of Children in Care.
The Children's Disability Team provides an excellent opportunity for you to develop skills across a range of interventions including Mental Capacity Assessments and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), also planning for transition to adulthood.
Our work sometimes requires us to work closely with the Assessment and Staying Together, and Early Help Teams, often co-working where there is a sibling group.
Practice development is a priority and you will be expected to contribute to reflective team supervision and to be committed to your own continues professional development.
The Ideal Candidate
You will have:
- BA/MA Social Work Qualification, Certified by Social Work England
- Registration with Social Work England
- Experience of working with children with disabilities is desirable.
- Post qualifying experience of working in Children's Services is desirable.
- Have completed or be willing to complete ASYE.
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.
