Social Worker (Looked After Children)

London Borough of Bexley; Bexleyheath; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Job summary

The London Borough of Bexley is seeking a qualified social worker to support families and safeguard children in line with legislation and best practice. The role requires registration with Social Work England and an enhanced DBS check, with a strong emphasis on relationship-based practice and English language competence.

The council values staff well-being and professional development. We offer a competitive salary and a generous pension scheme, plus annual leave and bank holidays.

Qualifications

• Must hold a relevant social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England.
• Appointment to this post is subject to Enhanced DBS disclosure.
• This is a customer-facing public sector role with English language requirements.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Teamwork

Education

Social Work qualification

Registered with Social Work England

Job description

The Council, its staff and partners, were delighted in March 2023, when Ofsted judgedthe overall effectiveness of children’s social care services to be ‘Outstanding’ for thesecond time running since 2018. We were especially pleased that our investment infrontline practitioners and managers has continued to be recognised. We have beenworking hard to create an environment where social workers can do the work theycame into the profession to do - to support and help families to stay together wherethis is in children’s best interests and it is safe enough for this to happen.

Bexley has a strong learning and development program and OFSTEDcommented on “A well-trained workforce is improving the lives of children andfamilies” 2023.

Ofsted judged that we provide strong management oversight of practice, that we havea well - embedded practice framework to enable meaningful family focused help, thatwe offer clear progress in career pathways, a talent management scheme and a environment to enable social work to flourish. We believe deeply inrelationship based practice and ‘Signs of Safety’ is the vehicle enabling us to do thisrespectfully and in collaboration with the people we are trying to help.

Our established family engagement group, FL.A.RE (Family Learning, Advocacy &Restorative Engagement), and children in care forums Positive Journeys, PositiveJourneys Seniors and Bexley’s Young Director support us with practice development and delivery. Front line practitioners have the opportunity to learn from our children,young people and families, and be part of this work.

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to grow, develop and progresswhatever stage of their careers they are at. We offer a comprehensive range of trainingand professional development opportunities including access to research, group ande-learning, coaching and group supervision. Practitioners are invited to contribute toour learning and development offer in Bexley and to enhance Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment, there is opportunity to co-design and deliver training if this is of interest. We invest in our staff so they can invest in the children, young people and families we support.

Here in Bexley, we recognise that our greatest asset is our workforce. Staff well-beingis important to us and you will have access to our weekly staff well-being drop insessions, our Employee Assistance Programme and our corporate offer of emotionaland physical well-being sessions.

Do you think you have what it takes to join our team of excellent, creative anddedicated social work professionals?

Candidate Profile

Candidates must hold a relevant social work qualification and be registered with the professional regulator for social work (Social Work England). For the full list of essential and desirable criteria for this role, please refer to the Person Specification within the attached Job Description.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

This post is considered by the authority to be a customer-facing position; as such it falls within scope of the Code of Practice on English language requirement for public sector workers. The council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the JD/Person Specification. These will be applied during the recruitment/selection and probationary stages.

Bexley is a vibrant and diverse outer London Borough nestled in the Thames Gateway between London and Kent which means it combines the perfect blend of city vibe and the tranquillity of Kent. It's got award‑winning parks, open spaces, and heritage sites. The borough has excellent transport connections, including the Elizabeth Line and proximity to the M25. Bexley offers fantastic amenities such as libraries, leisure centres, and shopping areas. Our borough is also home to numerous primary and secondary schools, as well as further education institutions.

Our Offer to you

We will offer you in return a package that includes a competitive salary, an excellent pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. For more information on the benefits package on offer please refer to the Candidate Information document attached.

Recruitment Information

As a disability confident employer Bexley welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including hidden disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on [e-mail]

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This role may be available as a development opportunity through secondment for the Council’s existing employees. The Council’s Secondment Scheme can be found here.

Please note this is a rolling advert and will be checked weekly for new applications.