Senior Assessing Social Worker– Children – Croydon Council
Salary: Grade 14 (£51,522- £53,607)
Permanent – 36 hours per week
Welcome Payment – £10,000
Retention Payment – £1,500
Salary: Grade 15 (£53,607- £55,620)
Permanent – 36 hours per week
Welcome Payment – £10,000
Retention Payment – £2,000
“Have you got the passion and drive to make positive changes in the lives of children and young people?”
The Opportunity
Our family and friends fostering team is growing. We are seeking qualified and experienced Assessing Social Workers to join us and work together in driving the service forward.
You will be valued for your skills and expertise, supported by the team of experienced professionals, as well as management and Croydon Council, one of the largest employers in the borough.
Responsibilities:
* Experience of working with children and young people and a comprehensive knowledge of legislation relating to Children Looked After.
* Experience of Supervising Foster Carers.
* The ability to identify and analyse risk, providing a clear evidence base to make clear professional recommendations.
* An ability to work directly with the wider public, foster carers, and young people, and produce clear, evidence-based and analytical assessments.
* The ability to assimilate information and present clear, concise summaries and high-quality reports.
* The ability to remain professionally curious while developing effective working relationships and having the confidence to challenge sensitively.
* Experience in completing Kinship assessments and Special Guardianship assessments is highly desirable.
The role will involve you using a range of systemic ideas in your work, including promoting a practice philosophy which seeks to empower service users, build on individual strengths, and develop strategies which support them to understand, manage and respond to risk.
Why Join Us
In Croydon, our Children's Services has an established Systemic Practice model, experienced leaders, and high support for practitioners. Croydon people and staff are diverse, and we celebrate difference through a focus on anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice. We are committed to delivering excellent social work practice and services to our children and families.
As well as this, we also offer the following:
* Our teams consist of experienced Social Workers at various levels.
* The team arranges weekly meetings to ensure all colleagues have the support required to fulfil their duties and use this time to problem-solve complex cases.
* The ethos at Croydon is very much about working together to make positive change.
* Caseloads of Social Workers are manageable for staff within the teams.
* You will join an established team who can help you settle in and offer their expertise.
* You will have the support of an extremely knowledgeable and understanding manager.
* You will have the opportunity to work from home and work flexibly, providing you with more of a work-life balance.
About You
We are looking for confident social workers, who are also:
* Qualified and registered Social Workers / Advanced Social Workers who are Social Work England registered and have completed your AYSE.
* Experienced in making assessments, implementing plans, and delivering interventions.
* Skilled in managing complex cases and competent in presenting cases in court with demonstrable professionalism and empathy.
* Your experience of working in a statutory setting is desirable, however not essential.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, as is a creative approach to conveying compelling messages.
Closing date: 21st February 2025 at 23:59
Interviews W/C: 3rd March 2025
Please click here to view the role profile for Social Worker / Senior Social Worker
Equal Opportunities and Safeguarding Statement
Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.
Croydon Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check.
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