Social Worker Safeguarding Team -Kingston

Social Worker - Safeguarding Team

Based in Kingston

£32 - £40 dependent on relevant experience and references.

- Candidates must have completed their ASYE to be considered.

- Candidates must have Safeguarding experience, or similar.

About the service

The Safeguarding Teams within Achieving for Children mainly support children and their families who are subject to Child Protection plans and Child in Need plans. Our focus is progressing and delivering longer-term plans with families. Both the Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Teams also hold Public Law Outline (pre-proceedings) and Care Proceedings, retaining case responsibility until the final order is granted and a plan for permanency is agreed.

About the role

As a Social Worker within the Safeguarding Team you will have the responsibility of managing a caseload of children, with varying levels of need and complexity. This includes regular assessment writing, threshold application, home visits, direct work, care planning, chairing meetings and case recording in line with our policies and procedures.

Both the Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Teams work collaboratively with specialist workers based within the service to drive forward positive and sustainable change for families in creative ways. The Families First model is focused on preventing case escalation and keeping children safely at home. Safeguarding Social Workers have quick and direct access to Social Work Assistants, Family Support Workers, Family Coaches, Domestic Abuse Victim and Perpetrator specialists, Adult Mental Health specialists, Drug and Alcohol specialists, and a Systemic Family Psychotherapist. In addition, every worker has easy access to their line manager, reflective supervision every four weeks and the opportunity to work within a supportive team environment.

Achieving for Children works within a Signs of Safety Practice model. We strive to work alongside children and families to ensure they know why we are involved and what needs to change to make things safer for all. Our aim is to achieve realistic and long-lasting change by establishing support within the family and community network.

About you: our role specification

Qualifications

Educated to a degree level with a relevant professional qualification in social work.

Successful completion of Assessed and Supported Year of Employment (ASYE)

Active Social Work England registration and proven evidence of continuing professional development.

Skills and experience

• Strong analytical, and planning skills for assessing, and reviewing children and young people’s needs, and planning packages of care across a range of cases, able to explain professional reasoning judgements, and decision making.
• Experience of building strong partnerships, maintaining relationships and co-producing solutions to challenges across a diverse set of stakeholders, including children, young people and their families. Experience of keeping and maintaining records (in accordance with local policy) and producing accurate reports, presentations, written updates to a range of stakeholders (which may include families, children or young people).
• Knowledge of statutory legislation (for example Children’s Act) and national policy drivers that will affect children’s services and your role.
• Experienced in undertaking child protection investigations and assessments of needs, assessment and appropriate management of risk and ensuring the delivery of agreed programmes of care.
• Experienced in managing an allocated caseload, planning and organising workload to meet statutory timescales and local policy response appropriately and independently (as appropriate) to unanticipated problems.
• Experience of planning and carrying out direct work and interventions with children, young people and parents/carers.

Personal attributes

• A passion for Achieving for Children’s vision, mission and values (trust, value. respect) to support children and young people to live safe, happy, healthy and successful lives.
• Able to use a range of digital hardware or software to support your work effectively i.e. Microsoft or Google software.
• Strong organisation skills including: time management, creative-thinking, problem-solving and multitasking.
• Able to manage priorities and work under pressure displaying initiative and creativity.
• Able to work flexibly, collaboratively and with initiative and with a solution focussed approach.
• Personal determination, drive, energy and ambition to achieve challenging objectives, celebrate success and deliver excellent outcomes for children.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills that are open, honest, persuasive and pragmatic including excellent negotiation and influencing skills.

To find out more information please contact Deannac@4recruitmentservices.com

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. We are an equal opportunity.