Social Worker/Senior Practitioner - Family Support and Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council; Bicester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Welcome payment £3,500

Relocation allowance up to £8,000

30 days annual leave

LGPS

Flexible working

Health & wellbeing support 24x7

Family-friendly policies

Staff discounts

Learning & development opportunities

Job summary

Oxfordshire County Council is seeking an experienced Social Worker to manage a caseload for children and families, using the FamilySupport and Safeguarding Workbook modules and a strengths-based approach. You will chair meetings, liaise with partner agencies, and travel to visit clients across the wider area.

You will prepare and submit written reports for child protection conferences and care proceedings, conduct assessments, and maintain accurate case records in line with performance data.

Qualifications

• Good working knowledge of services for children, young people and families.
• Understanding of safeguarding, relevant legislation, guidance, policy and procedures.
• Values and principles of FSP (Family Support and Safeguarding).

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload tailored to experience and ensure children's voices are heard.
• Prepare and submit written reports including child protection conference reports and legal reports for care proceedings.
• Chair meetings and engage with partner agencies.
• Travel to visit clients and attend meetings over a wide area.
• Record activity accurately in line with key performance management data.

Skills

Motivational Interviewing

Cycle of change

Safeguarding

Report writing

Partnership working

Case management

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

You will manage a caseload tailored to your experience, ensuring that children's and their families' voices are heard, and their needs are met. You will work with families using the FamilySupport and Safeguarding Workbook modules, and a strengths-based approach, ensuring the Assistant/Team Manager is kept fully appraised of significant information. Most importantly, you will ensure provision of good quality services which integrate government and local guidance and initiatives including, Children Acts 1989 & 2004, WorkingTogether, localChild Protection and Looked After Children procedures, and the DoH, Assessment Framework 2000. You will be well versed in preparing and submitting written reports as and when required, includingchild protection conference reports and legal reports for care proceedings.You will have the confidence to undertakechild and family assessments for allocated families, investigate allegations of harm or neglect under s47 Children Act 1989, when required. By efficiently using ICT, you will maintain accurate case records and will be able to record activity in line with key performance management data., Yoursupportive and energised nature will also help you chair meetings and proactively engage with partner agencies. It is essential that you are able to travel to visit clients and attend meetings over a wide area and at short notice.

As a qualified experienced Social Worker, you will possess good working knowledge of services relevant to children, young people, families, carers, groups and partner agencies.To succeed in this role, you will have a goodunderstanding of safeguarding, relevant legislation, guidance, policy and procedures, and values and principles of FSP. It will be hugely beneficial for you to have working knowledge of Motivational Interviewing and the cycle of change and their application in social work with children and families.

Together, we're shaping children's social care for the future. Every day, our colleagues are helping to transform the lives of the residents of Oxfordshire. In our Children, Education, & Families directorate, we'recommitted to delivering lasting change, by helping the children, young people, and families of Oxfordshire to thrive.We know the importance of building relationships, empowering people, and building on strengths and this is reflected in our restorative, relational practice approach. We've been consistently rated as "good" by Ofsted, but we are not content with that; we areambitious and want to do even better!We're a financially stable local authority which iscommitted to investing in Children, Education, and Families, to ensure that we have the resources we need to make a real difference to the families we work with - including successful operation of our transformational model FamilySupport and Safeguarding.

• Welcome andLoyalty payment of £3,500.
• Relocation allowance of up to £8,000.
• Annual leave starting at 30 days per year (plus bank holidays).
• A comprehensive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Flexible working.
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeingsupport 24x7.
• Range of family-friendly policies.
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme, range of staff discounts including travel, holidays, insurance, food, health & leisure activities.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities., We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.