Principal Social Worker for Adults and Children
Salary - £64,863 - £68,104 (Grade 10)
Hours - 37
Contract type - full time, permanent
Be the Principal Social Worker you want to be…
At the award-winning, Ofsted rated good with outstanding features, City of Wolverhampton Council, we work restoratively with individuals and families, building strong relationships and connections to help them find long-lasting solutions. We are ambitious for our workforce and communities, passionate about excellent, relational practice and courageous in our innovation. Our leaders are visible and responsive.
Due to an internal promotion, we are looking for a forward thinking, dynamic Principal Social Worker to lead, motivate and inspire our social workers across Adults and Children’s Services, working closely with the senior leadership teams and Directors to raise the profile of social work and offer effective challenge.
The Principal Social Worker (PSW) is highly valued in Wolverhampton and in this role, you would oversee social work training and development, recruitment and retention, including routes into social work, as well as leading a well embedded programme of quality assurance activity to support our culture of continuous learning and improvement. You will have responsibility for policy, procedures and inspection / CQC assurance activity, and have the opportunity to lead on projects and transformation.
You would take an active part in national and regional forums, provide advice to senior leadership teams and offer skilled and experienced leadership and practice knowledge to social workers and social care practitioners, the organisation and its partners. The PSW has responsibility for a team, which includes a Deputy PSW and a team of Advanced Practitioners, as well as an Inspection and Improvement Manager and Improvement Officers.
If you are passionate and tenacious, want to do the best job possible and committed to excellent social work practice and achieving the very best for our children, young people, adults and their families then we want to hear from you!
We will inspire, support and champion you so that you can be the Principal Social Worker you want to be.
Join us…
For your valued contribution we offer:
* Fantastic learning and development offer including access to Research in Practice and regular social work briefings and conferences
* A Social Work CPD / Career Pathway which will support you to progress and develop
* Permanent social workers will be able to claim back their Social Work England fees
* Reimbursement of Blue Light discount card membership fees
* Additional payments for practising Practice Educators
* Supportive and flexible working arrangements, including some home working
* Vibrant and active employee networks including four staff equality forums (Race Religion and Belief; Disability and Age; Gender Maternity and Paternity and LGBT+)
* Access to an external and independent confidential reporting service for employee concerns to be raised (“Safe Place”)
* Commitment to eliminating discrimination and supporting employee wellbeing to ensure a good work /life balance, including a strong employee assistance scheme and wellbeing offer
These posts are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. It also goes without saying that you will be Social Work England registered and have completed the Assessed and Supported Year of Employment (ASYE) or an equivalent post qualifying pathway.
To find out more about us why not take a look at our website: www.wolvessocialworkjobs.com
As part of the interview process, candidates will be required to undertake:
1. A Children’s panel interview
2. A panel interview (including presentation)
For further information on these posts please contact: Jennifer.rogers@wolverhampton.gov.uk or Rachel.King@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Children's panel interviews will take place Friday 25th April 2025
Formal panel interviews (including presentation) will take place Wednesday 30th April 2025
You will be notified on the outcome of your application form as soon as possible after the closing date.
For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Our working arrangements
All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.
Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.
Diversity
We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents.
Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential.
We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace.
As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees.
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 essential criteria for the post.
We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here
Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here
Employment Information & Support
If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more -Learn more here
Attached documents
Job Description and Person Specification
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