Children’s Social WorkerStockport Family SO2 (£30,451 - £34,728)37 Hours, Full Time Permanent Easy application process - CV and covering letterClosing date: 21st November 2021Interviews: Held weekly Stockport Family is looking for qualified social workers to join our social work teams. Lack of statutory experience is not a barrier because if you have the right values, passion and enthusiasm for social work with children and families, we will support you in gaining the skills you need to fulfil your potential. What do social workers say about working in Stockport? “Working in Stockport makes you love social work again. From the moment I started as a Senior Practitioner in Stockport, I fell in love with my job again. This is real social work. If you miss direct work with children, life story work, systemic genograms, family network meetings, reflective practice, relationships, this is the place for you. The term ‘restorative practice’ genuinely means something here and everyone from front line workers to senior management care about keeping families together and management care about their staff”. (Kate, Senior Social Work Practitioner) This is an exciting time for experienced or newly qualified social workers to join Stockport Family. If you act restoratively, think systemically and are crazy about the child we would love to hear from you As a Social Worker in Stockport Family you will benefit from: • A model of restorative practice – relationships are the key to how we work together with our families and each other – Restorative practice training offered to all workers. • Systemic social work practice – to help bring about the change that families need to be safe and thriving – access to Systemic practice training and foundation year course. • Co-located, integrated working bringing social workers, health and education services together so you can get the help you need quickly for families • Specialist services to support you when you are working with complex issues, such as high-risk domestic abuse, substance misuse or other complex safeguarding issues • Innovative and creative ways of working so that there are always opportunities for your personal development and to learn how to do things differently. • High quality and regular supervision, recognising we are humans first, professionals second • Manageable caseload matched to your skills, abilities and learning needs • Supportive leadership who listen and respond to feedback • High level of support through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) with monthly learning sets, wellbeing sessions and a mentor to give you additional reflective supervision and support • Opportunity to engage in a follow on second supported year in employment (SSYE) tailored around your learning needs • Dedicated workforce development managers for every stage of your career • Regular multi-agency group supervision in our Team Around the School model • Creative direct work kit bag given to every social worker • Regular informal learning circles and bitesize training to keep your knowledge and skills up to date • Genuine commitment to your Continuing Professional Development with regular opportunities across Stockport Family for short and long training courses tailored to your needs and interests. Ofsted has recognised that social work practice in Stockport is good with outstanding features and we are ambitious about wanting to be even better for children and families and you can play a key part in achieving this goal. About the role Stockport Family is currently recruiting for locality social workers. In Stockport, our model is different to lots of our neighbours. Our focus is on relationships and we have sought to reduce the number of times that children and families have to re-tell their story and make new relationships with professionals, by taking out the transition points within our social work teams. This offers a unique opportunity for you to gain experience and skills working with children and their families from the point of assessment, throughout their journey within the social care process. That means that you might work with a child until their situation is improved and they can step-down/step out of involvement with children’s social care, or you may support them throughout court proceedings and into permanence. Alongside your allocated children you will also be the link social worker for specific schools within your locality and be a key member of the Team around the School (TAS) alongside other key Stockport Family colleagues. You will offer advice to schools and linked professionals that enables them to confidently support children and families to receive the early help that they need, with the aim of preventing escalation to statutory social care services. You will work within a locality team alongside colleagues from health and early years, as well as borough-wide specialist services so that you can access the support and advice you need easily to deliver the best interventions for children and families. This is a system where we share problems and look for solutions together through conversation and excellent working relationships. We are constantly striving for the best outcomes for our children and families. You will play an important part in delivering outstanding practice and ensuring that children and families are at the heart of all decision-making and service delivery each day. About You You will be passionate about relationship-based social work, proud of your profession and able to reflect and think creatively about how you can build relationships to make a difference with children and families. You will be committed to your professional development, take up the vast amount of learning opportunities on offer and be excited about becoming part of Stockport Family. In Stockport Family we value diversity and the unique perspectives that each of us bring. We would like to increase the diversity of our workforce, and therefore would particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds at all levels of the organisation Want to know more? If you would like an informal discussion about the opportunities for social workers in Stockport, please contact: Vicky Sattler victoria.sattlerstockport.gov.uk 07891949348Rachel Rollings rachel.rollingsstockport.gov.uk 07800618661 How to apply To apply, please send us a copy of your CV and a covering letter to recruitmentstockport.gov.uk and we will contact you to arrange an interview. Within your covering letter, please tell us how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. In particular, please clarify that you are a qualified social worker (or soon to be), that you have the right to work in the UK and that you have a driving licence with access to a car for work purposes. Please provide the contact details of two referees who know you and your social work practice well. We look forward to hearing from you soon.