We have exciting opportunities for a Social Worker within our supportive Children In Care team. We are looking for someone who is passionate about improving the lives of children and young people.
Our Children in Care Team is a large, busy service. Consisting of social workers and 16+ social workers, we take a child centred approach when working in partnership with children and their families.
Please note this a career graded role. If you are appointed to a Grade 7 or Grade 8 position, in addition to the salary advertised you will receive a market premium of £2,750 per annum.
About us
Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.
Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected – only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.
We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.
About the role
Your role as a Social Worker within the team will be to support children living with relatives, friends or foster families and prospective parents, living in children’s homes and semi-independent units. Through regular visits, assessments and by way of care plan review, you will nurture and develop meaningful relationships with these children. We want you to understand and interpret their wishes whilst supporting and championing 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. You will work alongside partnership organisations such as: Health Services, CAMHS, IROs and carers.
Buckinghamshire Council Children's Services has adopted the Strengthening Families Framework as the practice approach for social work practitioners and managers to use when working with children and families. The Strengthening Families Framework provides a purposeful approach that is:
* Strengths-based; and
* Relationship-focused.
We use this approach within our assessments, care plans, case summaries, child write-ups following a visit and resource requests.
For a full list of responsibilities please see attached job summary.
About you
We would like to hear from Social Workers who:
* Have a social work qualification
* Have an active HCPC/SWE registration
* Have completed their ASYE
* Have recent and at least 2 years post-ASYE experience within a Local Authority
* We are looking for commitment and dedication – successful applicants will be able to demonstrate this with good lengths of service with previous roles.
Most importantly you will share our dedication and passion to improve the lives of children and young people.
Please see the job description for full person specification.
Other information
If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Abim Mustapha at abim.mustapha@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Closing date: Midnight on Thursday 10th October 2024
We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:
* All unspent cautions and convictions
* All adult cautions and spent convictions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020).
Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.
Our values
We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.
By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:
* a fair and inclusive culture
* the chance to really make a difference to those around you
* health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
* a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
* ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
* opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events
At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.
From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.
We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.
About the Service Area
Buckinghamshire is a successful, growing place with fantastic natural assets, a highly productive economy and many resourceful and thriving communities. However, we are far from complacent and our new and ambitious unitary authority is well placed to tackle the challenges associated with growth, an aging population, climate change and inequalities in both opportunities and outcomes – particularly for our children and young people.
Children’s Services is on an improvement journey and as our very recent Ofsted report shows, we have continued to improve despite the pressures of the pandemic and have built solid foundations for future success. Relationships with partners are strong and our collective response to the pandemic has strengthened and deepened our work together.
We have a big, ambitious agenda for Buckinghamshire, and our teams work collaboratively and at pace to make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people across the county.
We are looking for talented and driven individuals to help us achieve the best outcomes for our children, young people and families in Buckinghamshire. Our key priorities include continuing to protect vulnerable children and young people from harm, whilst sustaining an environment where social work practice can thrive. Through our vital work with our partners, including The Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership, we continue to improve our collective response to children and young people who have been exposed to domestic abuse, exploitation, substance misuse, and mental health issues.
No matter what role you take on in our Children’s services, you will be part of a team who is dedicated to supporting children and their families to achieve their full potential.
We recognise and reward you
Hard work and success deserve recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements.
We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme with an employer contribution of 24.6%.
Social Workers are also entitled to a generous enhanced reward package, as follows:
* A ‘Golden Hello’ lump sum payment upon successful completion of probation
* New lease car scheme
* Annual leave up to 30 days per year, as well as other types of leave and the opportunity to buy further leave
* Up to 15 days per year training, learning and development offer
* Free parking across all of our office sites
If you are interested in relocating to Buckinghamshire and working with us, relocation packages are also available.
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