QSW | Head of Permanency, Placements & Sufficiency

Qualified Social Worker | Head of Permanency, Placements and Sufficiency | Chelmsford

4Recruitment Services are seeking a Qualified Social Worker to work with Essex County Council based within Chelmsford. The successful individual will be required to have recent managerial experience of working within fostering services, adoption services, care planning, related permanency services, current social care issues, associated statutory and legislative frameworks.

Essex County Council is one of the largest, most dynamic local authorities in the UK, with a strong reputation for innovation and positively embracing change. Join our Children and Families division and you will find a culture of collaboration, integrity and a dedication to ensuring high quality, value led services that meet the current and future needs of children and families.

The successful Social Worker will have:

• Significant experience giving you the resilience to succeed within a rapidly changing and ambiguous environment while managing conflicting priorities.
• The ability to proactively lead and deliver cultural change to improve quality of service is important too, as are excellent influencing skills.
• Adept at collaborating effectively with internal and external partners and stakeholders, you are also comfortable leading, managing and motivating a team of senior and middle managers.

Your Responsibilities:

• As the operational and strategic lead this role comes with significant budget responsibility (approx. £30m) and will test your knowledge of fostering and adoption services, social work practice and the national landscape.
• You will also be responsible for the development and delivery of a permanency, placement and sufficiency strategy and associated services, this is a rare chance to put your social care expertise to excellent use in a role with a truly broad remit. As well as providing strategic leadership across the full spectrum of our services, you will work locally, regionally and nationally as you collaborate with other local authorities, placement providers and commissioning groups.
• You will be accountable for the development and delivery of a high quality countywide fostering, adoption and Special Guardianship service offer that meets the outcomes defined by the Leadership team and national indicators and standards and be responsible for leading the Placement function, identifying suitable placements across the private and voluntary sector.
• You will lead on the delivery of the Sufficiency Strategy alongside commissioners, ensuring that the right placements are available at the right time for children and young people in and leaving care now and into the future. As such you will play a pivotal role in permanency planning.

To apply for this you must have:

• A relevant Social Work qualification (BA/MA Social Work/DipSW or equivalent)
• Relevant Experience in Managing, development and the delivery of Social Care services
• Be HCPC Registered
• Be eligible to work within the UK
• Experience with budget responsibility

Salary is £65,000 to £81,000 per year.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wide operational area including travelling around the County of Essex and beyond. Driving licence and car or ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

4Recruitment Services is a specialist recruitment agency for Qualified Social Workers and Healthcare Professionals.

We offer:

• An excellent referral scheme of £250 for each successfully placed referral
• HCPC certified complimentary training

Our own dedicated payroll support ensuring you get the full benefits of your payment

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.

To discuss this vacancy or other Social Work vacancies in your area please contact Charlotte Park on 0208 911 1085.