Social Worker - Children in Care inEly inEly PUBLISHED FRI 6 DEC 2024

£39,548 to £42,248 a year PERMANENT GOOD SALARY

FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH PENSION SOCIAL WORK

Cambridgeshire County Council r6yOCaWZ

Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children and young people in care by ensuring their safety, security, and overall well-being.

Access to a comprehensive well-being package that supports both personal and professional aspects of life, which can also be extended to family members.

Structured support for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) with 6 days of protected time each year, allowing social workers to enhance their skills and knowledge.

A flexible working environment that accommodates various working patterns to promote work-life balance and job satisfaction.

Financial incentives such as a relocation package of up to £8,000, pay progression schemes, and scalable retention payments for long-term commitment.

Being part of a diverse and inclusive organization that values Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, fostering a compassionate workplace culture.

Access to the Cambridgeshire Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE) for professional development, enabling social workers to become the best practitioners they can be.

Cambridgeshire County Council is seeking passionate and dedicated Social Workers for their Children in Care North and South Team in Ely. The primary focus of this role is to advocate for and support children and young people in care, ensuring their safety, emotional well-being, and development toward reaching their full potential. Responsibilities include leading safeguarding initiatives, conducting assessments, engaging with families to create empowering relationships, and producing child-centered reports and plans for various forums, including court.

Candidates should be qualified Social Workers with registered Social Work England credentials and the ability to travel independently across the county. The council values diversity and inclusion and offers a range of benefits, including a comprehensive wellbeing package, relocation support, and pay progression schemes. They encourage individuals who may not meet every requirement to apply and emphasize their commitment to a supportive and inclusive workplace.

We have an exciting vacancy in the Children in Care North and South Team for a Social Worker. For more information please see the below.

About us
We are looking for passionate and enthusiastic Social Workers who have the childs voice at the heart of everything they do to join us in our Children in Care Team!

Our aim in Children in Care is to achieve permanence for children and young people who become Looked After and to ensure that they are in a home which meets their needs, reflects their right to safety and security, and encourage them to reach their full potential at every stage of their development. We encourage all Looked After children and young people to meet their full educational potential and to promote both their physical and mental health.

We have vacancies in our Ely andWisbech Teams.

If this sounds like an role that suits your skillset, we would love to hear from you! For more information, call Nathalie on or email .

This is a rolling campaign and we check applications daily, dont wait to apply!

In Childrens Services we are working to reshape what we do and how we do it. Why not be part of it?

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Wesupportflexible working requests from day one of employment and so we are open to discussing different working patterns to help you bring your best self to work.
Our benefits
We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage

A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family

6 days of protected time each year to support in maintaining your Continuous Professional Development

A relocation package of up to £8,000 (eligibility applies)

A pay progression scheme to enable you to accelerate through the pay grade as you gain experience and skills

Scalable retention payments of up to £7,650 over a 3 year period, starting after your first full year of employment

A Refer a Friend Schemewhere if you refer another Social Worker to us who is subsequently employed by us as a result of that introduction, well pay you an introduction fee of £350

Access to our Cambridgeshire Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE) who will support your development, enabling you to become the best practitioner you can be

For more information and to see our other benefits, take a look at the benefits brochure attached to this advert.
What will you be doing?
Day-to-day responsibilities of a Social Worker in Children in Care include:

Act as the lead professional and ensure all matters in respect of safeguarding are dealt with promptly, effectively and in line with child protection procedures, escalating where necessary.

Undertake assessments to identify and respond to needs, building on strength and ensuring that analysis is robust and leads to clear outcomes that can be met through SMART targets.

Engage with children, young people, and their families or carers to develop effective and empowering relationships which facilitate change and improve outcomes.

Produce reports and plans for a variety of forums, including court, which are child focussed and reflect their experience.

About you
We're looking for confident and dynamic individuals whoenjoy making a difference in theirlocal community, arecurious and spot things that others might not see, enjoysbuilding relationships and likes to explore possibilities.

You must:

Be aqualified Social Worker with a Social Work England registration

Havethe ability towork from a variety of locations and travel countywide independently

For a full list of the requirements of the role, please check out the Job Description & Person Specification.
About us
Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.

Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do.

We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities.If you dont meet every single requirement in the job role but think this could be you, please dont be put off. We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager, whose details can be found in the advert, to discuss any adjustment needs. Some examples of adjustments could include additional time to complete an assessment or printing a document on pastel coloured paper with larger font size and line spacing. We would value talking about what might be possible to enable you to join us and thrive, so if there is something that would help you to do your best during your journey with us, please get in touch.

Visit our jobs and careers section to find out more about our wide range of learning and development opportunities; apprenticeships; our wellbeing package; staff benefits; our commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion.

www.jobsincare.com/job/jbns88SI

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More about MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health has emerged as a critical issue in the United Kingdom, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis highlighted the fragility of mental well-being across different demographics, from children and adolescents to adults and the elderly. It has sparked a wider conversation about the importance of mental health care, accessibility, and the stigmas often associated with mental illnesses. Learn more...

Useful skills for a Social Worker - Children in Care: Click to view

To work as a social worker in the UK, you need a combination of education, practical skills, and personal attributes. Here are some key skills and qualifications required:

Educational Requirements:

1. Relevant Degree: Typically, you need a degree in social work, which is usually recognized by UK regulatory bodies. Alternatively, a postgraduate degree in social work may suffice if you have a prior degree in another discipline.

2. Postgraduate Certificate in Social Work: For those who have a relevant degree but not in social work, a postgraduate qualification can be pursued.

3. Registration: You must register with the regulatory body for social workers in your country (Social Work England for England, Social Care Wales, the Care Council for Northern Ireland, or the Scottish Social Services Council).

Key Skills Required:

1. Communication Skills: Ability to clearly and compassionately communicate with clients, families, and other professionals.

2. Empathy and Compassion: Understanding clients' feelings and perspectives to provide appropriate support and guidance.

3. Critical Thinking: Ability to assess situations, evaluate information, and make informed decisions.

4. Problem-Solving Skills: Competence in developing practical solutions to complex issues faced by clients.

5. Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build trusting relationships and work collaboratively with clients and multidisciplinary teams.

6. Organizational Skills: Managing a caseload, keeping accurate records, and ensuring all paperwork is completed promptly.

7. Cultural Competence: Understanding and respecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of clients.

8. Resilience: Ability to cope with emotional stress and remain focused under pressure.

9. Advocacy Skills: Ability to advocate for clients’ needs and rights effectively.

10. Knowledge of Services and Legislation: Understanding of social welfare policies, relevant laws, and local services available to clients.

Additional Attributes:

- Ethical Practice: Strong moral principles guiding your work.

- Adaptability: Flexibility to work in various circumstances and respond to changing needs.

- Teamwork: Ability to work effectively within a team and contribute to collective goals.

Experience:

- Practical Experience: Engaging in placements during your studies, volunteering, or previous roles in related fields can provide essential hands-on experience.