Qualified Social Worker - Children in Care

Qualified Social Worker - Children in Care Team

Essex (Harlow)

36,101 to 48,622 per annum

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

Essex County Council understand how important flexibility and wellbeing is for our colleagues working across children's Social Care and that we need to think differently. We have therefore developed a nine-day working fortnight for full time frontline Social Workers within Children's services.

The Team:

Children in Care (CIC) teams work with children and young people up to the age of 18 who are in care- they're unable to live at home and are either placed with a foster carer or live in residential homes. They work with children and young people to ensure their experiences in care is a good one and that the work undertaken prepares them for their transition into leaving care or return home to family.

The CIC teams receive cases in proceedings after the first hearing, they visit children and young people in placement, develop permanency plans which include Special Guardianship Order (SGO) and adoption, undertake life-story work to enable a child to understand the reasons for being in care and also support children to return home to birth family.

Main duties include:

• Required to use professional knowledge to assess, monitor and review social care needs of individuals, relatives and carers and to arrange the provision of appropriate care services
• Must have significant knowledge, experience and specialist communication skills to gather information and make a full assessment of the risks, protection and social care needs of individuals, carers and families
• Must be capable of devising individual care plans based on needs and risks and take appropriate action, in conjunction with other agencies, to protect vulnerable people.
• Required to manage an agreed case load, offer support and guidance and monitor, review and reassess care packages/services to ensure continued effectiveness.
• Some knowledge of care benefits, fees and allowances would be helpful
• Must be able to assess risks, needs and information, and recognise problems.
• Understand philosophies, professional social work issues and the legal framework underpinning care services.
• Must be computer literate and have basic numeracy skills.
• Must be able to fulfil transport requirements.
• Working with children who are looked after to achieve and maintain permanence, including permanency and care planning, family proceedings and preparation for children leaving care

Benefits of Working with Essex County Council:

Our Client has free onsite parking with the opportunity for role progression and training for both permanent staff within the authority. They offer a very competitive pay rate which exceeds most of the surrounding areas.

Application Process:

If you're passionate about making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families, apply now!

Submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for theChildren in Care role based on the requirements, or for more info on this/ any other role in Essex contact Callum Parr at Ackerman Pierce Recruitment Agency on (phone number removed)