People and Place Permanence Team (Children in our care) Ref: 000417 Contract: Permanent Salary: 37,938 - 45,718 (Grade 7 - 8) Hours: 36.66 per week Based: Metropolitan Place, Oldham OL1 1TT Closing Date: Sunday 29th December 2024 Interview: TBC Informal Enquiries: Assistant Director Nick Whitbread Email: Nick.Whitbreadoldham.gov.uk Why should you work in Oldham? Officially rated as a Good by Ofsted, we are proud of our relentless approach in seeking the very best outcomes for our children and families, and there s never been a better time to join the team and be part of our success story. Oldham is a wonderful place of diversity, where people of all cultures come together. This is one our greatest strengths and our social workers enjoy using a breadth of skills and gaining a variety of experiences whilst supporting children and families from diverse backgrounds. We use systemic practice as our chosen practice model, focusing on building relationships with children and families, understanding the context and family dynamics, and reflectively learning together. 2024 has seen the launch of our new systemic reflective hubs, as our Social Work Academy continues to offer reflective supervisions and tailored support through an innovative 2-year ASYE programme. We have a strong ethos of Growing our own, providing a great environment to excel in your social work career. Our Promises to you: A manageable and diverse caseload aligned with your experience and skills. A commitment to your continuing professional development through a bespoke learning and development programme A variety of career opportunities to progress and develop with us in Social Work Regular, quality, and reflective supervision and learning from practice audits with fortnightly training days in each of our services. Monthly Group Supervision with your team Weekly Learning Spaces to focus on a specific area of learning. A permanent and supportive Senior Leadership team Full corporate and service Induction Direct link to a Team Manager, Advanced Practitioner and Social Work Consultants from our Social Work Academy. The opportunity to become a Practice Educator and to develop students within our organisation. Dedicated support to develop you in your role and opportunities to meet your career aspirations. During the SSYE [LM1] (second supported year in employment) you will have a consultant social worker in the CSWA who will offer reflective supervision every three months as well as meetings with your manager at 6 and 12 months to ensure that your professional development plan is being supported. Focus on child and family-centred outcomes across all sectors by ensuring the right intervention is identified at the right time, there by building a safe, happy, healthy, and successful future for children and young people. You will be rewarded with great benefits: Competitive pay with a 2,000 retention payment. (After 2 years) Hybrid working giving flexibility for you to manage your diary and offer a better work/life balance. Free town centre parking Essential car user allowance of 500 and mileage expenses at 45p per mile. Reimbursement of Social Work England professional registration fees currently 90 per year Other generous benefits including: 25 days annual leave with the option to purchase additional days, and which increases after 5- and 10-years service. Attractive defined benefit pension scheme with a market leading AVC option for additional retirement savings Discounted gym membership Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more. Salary sacrifice scheme, including Cycle to Work Wellbeing support, including an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support. Staff recognition and celebration events Our employees say One of the reasons I ve worked here for so long is because it s like a family and a listening organisation, where people are encouraged to participate and get involved. Our Social Worker teams are friendly, approachable and professional. We all want to make a difference to the families and children that we work with. Oldham values the person, the families, and the inclusive culture. Hear more from our employees and explore our Social Work Academy offer here Ofsted says Children are well supported by social workers, who ensure that their health, education and emotional needs are met. Staff are tenacious. Children and families in Oldham benefit from a comprehensive range of early help services. There is strong partnership working. Senior leaders promote the participation of cared for children and actively seek their voice in developing and shaping service delivery. Relentless focus on improvement by a strong and stable leadership team, with progress made across many areas of practice, Read the full Ofsted report here Are you an experienced and passionate Social Worker looking to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and young people? Our Permanence Team is dedicated to providing the highest standard of care and support for looked-after children, ensuring they achieve stability and security in their lives. The children in our care have told us what qualities are important for them in their social worker. This included being empathic, listening, trustworthy, kind and understanding. About the Role: As a Social Worker in the Permanence Team, you will play a pivotal role in supporting children in our care to achieve aspirational goals, and gain permanence and security, whether through long-term fostering, or reunification with their families. You will work closely with children, families, carers, and partner agencies to ensure that each child s needs are met holistically from the point of Final Care Order. The role involves ensuring the safety and well-being of children by continuously assessing their needs and addressing any concerns that arise. A key part of the work includes supporting children during placement transitions, particularly in the event of a placement breakdown, by identifying and securing suitable alternatives that prioritise stability and minimise disruption. You will be responsible for undertaking comprehensive assessments and creating detailed care plans that reflect the child s best interests. This role also requires chairing meetings with a focus on collaborative decision-making and advocating for the child s needs. Additionally, it involves preparing detailed Court reports and attending Court proceedings to provide professional input and represent the child s best interests effectively, where the plan is rehabilitation back home or for Special Guardianship. Your responsibilities will include: Building meaningful, trusting relationships with children and young people to understand their wishes and feelings. Developing, implementing, and reviewing care plans focused on achieving permanence for our looked-after children. Undertaking assessments to ensure children s needs are fully understood and addressed. Collaborating with foster carers, adoptive families, and other professionals to provide tailored support. Representing the local authority at court proceedings, reviews, and professional meetings. Advocating for the best interests of the children you work with, ensuring their voices are heard and respected. Contributing to the development of high-quality practice within the team. What we need from you: All applicants must meet the relevant criteria, including the right to work in the UK. We do not accept applications from candidates who require sponsorship. Oldham Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All roles require strong commitment to securing good outcomes for children, operating in a supportive environment focused on effective delivery, including identifying and responding appropriately to any safeguarding concerns, ensuring the immediate decision making reflects an analysis of risk and protective factors. Our Behaviours Our five behaviours support how we work at Oldham, ensuring we all: Work with a resident focus. Support our local leaders. Take ownership and drive change. Stay committed to the borough. Drive high performance. Oldham Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to register to the DBS Update Service to enable the Council to undertake rechecks throughout your employment. The cost to register is 13 and can be claimed back upon commencement to the role but will not be refunded if you do not accept the offer of employment. If you would like support with this application, an interview or interested in looking at any courses that could help with this position please get in touch with Get Oldham Working - Get Oldham Working registration form - Oldham Council NB. - Any candidate that meets the criteria of our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme and meets the essential criteria of the role, will be guaranteed the first stage of assessment (whether that is an interview or another assessment, as appropriate). Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme supports candidates with disabilities, carers, those who are aged 24 or under and have previously been in or currently in care, and those whose last long term substantive employer was the Armed Forces. Diversity and Inclusion: At Oldham Council, we are committed to creating a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We aim to develop a culture of respect, where differences are recognised regardless of background. We aim to be an employer of choice by engaging in fair and open recruitment processes and Applications are encouraged from all communities across the borough to create a workforce that represents the diversity of our population. About Us: Oldham is committed to developing a Co-operative future; one where citizens, partners and staff work together to improve the borough. Anyone joining the council is coming into an ambitious organisation with big plans. We are working hard to build a brighter future for our borough and we need people from a wide range of backgrounds to continue delivering the best for our communities. The Council has a clear set of Behaviours, which outline how we do business and we share these borough wide with our residents, partners and businesses. Internally we have translated these into five cooperative behaviours which outline the priority areas of focus for all staff at all levels. You can view these Behaviours, along with staff benefits on our Greater.Jobs pages Working for Oldham For details of how we use your data please see our Privacy Notice Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for an at risk employee, it can be pulled back at any point up to the post being formally offered to an external candidate or an internal candidate that is not at risk of redundancy. Right to Work in the UK