* Salary: £40,929 - £43,735 per annum plus an additional payment of up to £6,000 across your first 18 months in post
* Category: Qualified Social Work - Children's
* Contract type: Permanent
* Working hours: 36 hours per week
* Posted on: 25 November 2024
* Location: Guildford and Reigate, Surrey
Description
We have opportunities to join our Children Looked After Teams based in Guildford and Reigate.
When not working with our residents in the community, we support agile working with a combination of home and office working. We aim to provide flexibility while ensuring you feel connected to your team and the service.
The salary range for Social Workers is £40,929 - £43,735 per annum. We also offer a financial package of up to £6,000, payable in 3 instalments across your first 18 months in post. Information about qualifying criteria to receive this payment can be found HERE.
Rewards and Benefits
* We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
* 28 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service (plus bank holidays)
* Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
* An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
* Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
* Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
* A generous local government salary-related pension
* Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping, and many more
* Learning and development hub with a wealth of resources
Following our latest Ofsted visit in April, we are pleased to report positive feedback on our service quality for children in need or under child protection plans in Surrey. Ofsted recognized the improved impact of our 'comprehensive improvement programme'. We are committed to continuing our progress and are seeking motivated individuals to help us ensure children in Surrey are effectively safeguarded and receive timely support.
About working with Children Looked After
As a member of the Children Looked After Team, your role will be to support children living with relatives, friends, or foster families and prospective adopters or older children living in children's homes and semi-independent units. You will build sustainable relationships with them and plan for their permanence, ensuring their safety and supporting them in taking necessary steps towards independence.
Through regular visits, assessments, and reviewing their Care Plan, you will nurture and develop meaningful relationships with these children and young people; understand and interpret their wishes; and champion and support them to reach their full potential. Occasionally, you will be required to prepare reports and attend court.
You will be supported in this challenging role with regular supervision and consultations with our Mental Health Focused Social Worker. You will also find support by working alongside other social workers, family support workers, and partnership organisations such as Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (New Leaf), Independent Reviewing Officers, and carers.
Supporting You
In Surrey, you will have a sense of belonging within your individual team as well as the wider service areas and directorate. You will receive high-quality supervision, with a commitment towards dedicating time that focuses on the work you do with children and families, enabling you to work creatively and holistically with a child-centred approach.
You will also be supported in your career development by your management team and our Surrey Children's Service Academy, which currently has over 60 courses available and offers a bespoke learning programme to ensure you are at the forefront of best practice, providing you with support and a clear pathway to achieve your future aspirations.
Modules such as motivational interviewing and our total respect course will empower you to have essential conversations while ensuring a child-centred approach to your practice.
Our Inclusive Approach
To apply, you will need to upload your CV and answer the following questions (no more than 200 words per question):
* Please tell us what has motivated you to apply for this role?
* Please tell us about the key skills and experience you will be able to bring to this role.
* Please tell us about an example that demonstrates how you have built long-lasting relationships with children.
If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short first-round virtual interview to explore your answers to the above questions (lasting approx. 15-20 min).
If your Teams call goes well, you will be invited for an in-person interview, allowing you to meet the team, check out your potential office, and get a feel for what your journey might look like.
We are committed to inclusive recruitment. That's why, if you're invited to a face-to-face interview, we'll share the themes of the questions with you in advance. This way, you can prepare and feel comfortable knowing what topics will be covered during the process, allowing you to focus and confidently discuss your valuable skills and experiences.
We'd love to hear from you and find out more about what you're looking for, so if you'd like to talk to us, please just drop a quick message to cflworkforceteam@surreycc.gov.uk and we'll get a call arranged.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on the 16th December 2024.
An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.
You will need to be registered with Social Work England.
Surrey has both urban and rural areas, and locality-based social care workers will be expected to have a valid driving license to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle, and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments, where needed, will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.
Our Values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also attached provides insights into the culture at Surrey and how, as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:
* The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
* The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.
We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.
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