Consultant Social Worker

Dorset Council; Wareham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Training and development

Career progression

Job summary

Dorset Council's Family Support and Advice Line is seeking a Consultant Social Worker to join the Front Door team in Dorset. You will work flexibly, with a focus on safeguarding children, collaboration with partners, and delivering strengths-based practice across a 4-day week for full-time staff.

You will hold a Diploma/Degree/MA in Social Work, be registered with Social Work England, and have at least 4 years post-qualifying experience.

Qualifications

• Skilled practitioner and registered social worker.
• Minimum of 4 years post qualifying experience in Children's Services.
• Registered with Social Work England.

Responsibilities

• Chair multi-agency meetings and lead on service initiatives.
• Support learning culture and ongoing professional development.
• Develop and promote a positive learning culture beyond the immediate team.

Skills

Effective communicator

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Diploma/Degree/MA in Social Work

Job description

About the role

The Family Support and Advice Line, Dorset Council's Children's Services "Front Door" team, is a supportive and forward-thinking service, where you will be invested in and have every opportunity to make that positive difference to children's lives. Our Front Door Social Workers are known as Consultant Social Workers and form a dedicated, collaborative and highly regarded team.

The Family Support and Advice Line is a telephone, conversation and consultation-based service for all safeguarding contacts and referrals, one where relationships and collaboration is promoted to ensure that children and young people receive the right support, first time and in their communities. We work closely with our Family Help colleagues and MASH partners, so being an effective communicator and adopting a strengths-based approach is key.

We truly are 'One Team' where relationship-based and restorative practiceis central to our service culture. Our teamhave been able todevelop operational leads within the service,contributing to practice developmentwithin the service and wider organisation.

Our focus is on supporting families to meet the needs of their children and keeping children at home where it is safe to do so. You’ll find a variety of exciting challenges, working with our children, families, and partners, in a workplace that’s part of a community that values your skills, appreciates your passion, and recognises the difference you can make.

The Family Support and Advice Line works 365 days per year and includes our Out of Hours service. Our Consultant Social Workers work on a rota basis including an overnight, on call requirement once per fortnight. This requires a flexible and solution-focused approach, with a clear understanding of service demand and how we all work together.

We offer a flexible and supportive work environment with hybrid working. Our Consultant Social Workers currently work their full-time hours over a 4-day working week (amended for our part-time staff), contributing to a great work/life balance.

About You

You are a skilled practitioner and registered social worker who can work flexibly, demonstrate calmness and reflection whilst under pressure. You are someone who supports your colleagues and promotes relationships with partner agencies, and our communities to ensuring our children in Dorset thrive.

We actively support a learning together culture. As a successful candidate you would demonstrate how you develop and promote a positive learning culture, not only in respect of your own learning but for others, whether this is within the service, the wider organisation, in our work with partners or with our children and families.

You will have a Diploma/Degree/MA in Social Work and have a minimum of 4 years post qualifying experience in Children's Services. You will also be registered with Social Work England.

You'll join a forward-thinking service, where you'll be encouraged to think creatively, question how we do things, and devise new, innovative approaches through our Partnership Workforce Events - our Children's Services' employee forum. There are opportunities to be involved in and chair multi-agency meetings, and for career progression through, for example, supervising members of the team, providing training for partners, and developing a lead role for our conversational model.

Join us and be part of an exceptional Children's Services team, recently recognised by Ofsted as Outstanding. The Family Support and Advice Line was described in the following way: " Children's levels of need and risk are considered carefully to decide the right course of action. Social workers robustly analyse all risks, such as child exploitation, gang violence and domestic abuse… Children and families benefit from the same effective response when concerns are raised during evenings and weekends."

We offer a diverse career where the positive impacts of your work will extend a long way beyond your day-to-day role. Identifying the support needs for children and their families, with an overall aim of children being safe, means that you are giving children and their families a better chance of a happy, healthy, and thriving future.

Our innovative model of working, Dorset Children Thrive, will support you to be part of a service that:

• Puts children and families at the heart of everything we do
• Focuses on 'getting it right first time' by providing early help
• Makes services easily accessible for all
• Develops a skilled, supported and confident workforce
• Provides quality and efficient services that meet the highest standards
• Measures success by how we have made life better for children and young people

Further Information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact one of our Team Managers:

Jonnie Daniels – 01305 225833

Jane Gillett – 01305 225820

Rachel Gauntlett – 01305 225821

This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.

See our adult safeguarding policy.

About Us

At Dorset Council, it’s not just about the work we do, it’s about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.