Social Worker - Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council seeks a qualified Social Worker for the Children in Care Team, focusing on supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The role involves conducting assessments, advocating for children's rights, and working with various organizations to secure their well-being. Candidates should possess specialist knowledge in social work and share a passion for improving young lives.

Benefits

Annual leave up to 30 days per year

Up to 15 days training and development offer

Free parking across all office sites

Relocation packages available

Agile working arrangements

Qualifications

• Possess highly developed specialist knowledge of social work practice with children and families.
• Demonstrate aspiration for all children and young people.
• Experience in assessments such as Age Assessments.

Responsibilities

• Work in partnership with local and national organisations to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
• Ensure young people's voices are heard and advocate for them.
• Complete Care Plans and Pathway Plans.

Skills

Empathy

Sensitivity

Advocacy

Education

Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England

Job description

Location: Aylesbury

Overview

At Buckinghamshire Council we have a fantastic opportunity for a Social Worker to join our dedicated Children in Care Team with a focus on supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Please note, in addition to the salary advertised you will receive a market premium of £2,750 per annum.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

The successful candidate for this exciting and rewarding role will:

• Be a qualified children and young people’s Social Worker and work in partnership with a number of local and national organisations who support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
• Show sensitivity and empathy to safeguard these children, who may have been trafficked into the UK, suffered trauma and may be at risk of other forms of exploitation.
• Need to demonstrate that they are aspirational for all our children and young people. For most of our young people in this cohort English is not their first language.
• Be required undertake assessments such as Age Assessments and complete both Care Plans and Pathway Plans and help plan for their future in terms of health, education and housing.

This role will also involve liaising with the Home Office to secure their legal status and residency.

It is imperative that the successful candidate is able to ensure that young people’s voices are clearly heard and advocate for them when necessary.

Please see the job description for more information.

About you

To make a great Social Worker in this team, the ideal candidate will possess highly developed specialist knowledge of social work practice with children and families and be a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England.

We offer manageable caseloads, agile working, and access to comprehensive training and reflective supervision.

Most importantly you will share our dedication and passion to improve the lives of children and young people.

Please see attached job description for more information.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Bukky Oginni at

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements.

Social Workers are also entitled to a generous enhanced reward package, as follows:

• Competitive salary with a market increment
• A ‘Golden Hello’ lump sum payment upon successful completion of probation
• Annual leave up to 30 days per year, as well as other types of leave and the opportunity to buy further leave
• Up to 15 days per year training, learning and development offer
• Free parking across all of our office sites

If you are interested in relocating to Buckinghamshire and working with us, relocation packages are also available.