Advanced Social Worker - Placements

London Borough of Croydon; London; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job description

Advanced Social Worker - Placements - Croydon Council

Salary: Grade 14 (GBP51,522- GBP53,607)

Permanent - 36 hours per week

Hybrid working

Job Purpose

Croydon Children's Social Care have been going through transformation. One of the areas we have made great strides forward in is the service which finds homes for our Children Looked After and Care Experienced Young Adults. We believe that nobody's children live in placements. Our children live in homes where they are loved and cared for. We want exactly the same for our CLA and CEYA. So our service is called Homefinding.

Over the last year or so we have pulled together a team with sufficient management capacity and staff resource to be able to give the time and attention to finding homes the attention it deserves. We now want to complete the process by creating a fully permanently staff service.

You will be one of the 2 Registered Social Workers in the service. As an experienced social worker who has worked in Homefinding, Fostering or frontline social work including Children Looked After, you will have expertise in matching children's needs to carers. You will be passionate about ensuring that children have stability which comes from settled homes. You will have or be willing to develop negotiating skills and work in a relational way understanding that this is the best way to secure positive outcomes. You will be comfortable visiting and quality assuring provision and with supporting Homefinders thinking about how to find the best home for the children they are leading the search for.

We expect children and families in Croydon to receive outstanding services from our social work staff. We want our staff to have high expectations and high challenge of their practice and each other. It's an exciting time to be joining us. To meet the changing needs of our children and families we have invested in creating the conditions for social work to flourish. We have an exciting opportunity for a Social Worker to join Croydon in our Placements Team. There has never been a greater focus on children's services in Croydon than right now, making it an exciting place to take the next step in your social work career.

Essential Requirements

1. Qualified and experienced Social Worker with Social Work England registration.
2. Knowledge of national policy, strategy and developments regarding children's social care, and areas that impact on children's social care.
3. Experience of working with children (placements team would be an advantage).
4. Knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, standards and procedures.
5. Able to maintain records that evidence our engagement with children and families, informs the quality assurance framework e.g., quantitative, qualitative and outcome information for the children and families, the views and experiences of children and families.

Why Join Us

1. Our team consists of experienced, dedicated practitioners.
2. We meet regularly to make sure everyone we work with has the support and knowledge needed to make a difference and be the difference to our families, communities and colleagues.
3. At Croydon relationships matter and we are about strong partnerships and working together to make lasting positive change.
4. We are an established team who can help you settle in and offer their expertise.
5. You will have the support of an extremely knowledgeable understanding manager.
6. You will have access to a busy, buzzy, committed workforce and work environment.
7. Opportunities to work from home and work flexibly provides you with more work-life balance.
8. Opportunities to think together with your manager about career development.
9. Support to help you grow, develop, learn and lead.

Benefits

1. You will be valued for your skills and expertise, supported by the team of experienced professionals, as well as the management at Croydon Council, one of the largest employers in the borough.
2. Highly competitive compensation package.
3. Accredited Systemic Practice training.
4. A range of CPD opportunities.
5. 29-31 days (grade equivalent) annual leave in addition to Bank Holidays and option to purchase more.
6. A pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 20%.
7. Continuing Professional Development - genuine opportunities to grow, develop and specialise in your career.
8. Management development programmes.
9. Investment into your wellbeing.
10. Access to Employee Discount scheme with a range of programmes (Cycle Benefit Scheme, GymFlex, Retail Discounts and more).
11. We promote flexible & hybrid working arrangements where possible to support a healthy work-life balance.

Full time 36 Hours
To view the role profile please click here
Closing date 28 April :59pm

Equal Opportunities and Safeguarding Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The Successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check.