Newly Qualified Social Worker - Childrens
Job introduction
Are you about to complete your social work qualification?
Looking for an opportunity to embark on your social work career in an organisation where "social workers' morale is high" (Ofsted 2018)?
Do you want to make a real difference to the lives of children and families?
If so, then we would like to hear from you.
Closing date: Midnight on the 16th May 2021
Interview dates: Monday 7th, Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th June - the interviews will be run on a recruitment centre model and you will need to attend on one of these three days. Please state on your application if you have a preference for one of the days or cannot attend a particular date.
About the role
About us
“Social workers’ morale is high and they enjoy working in Brighton & Hove.”(Ofsted’s ILACS report)
"88% of social workers said that they felt safe and supported despite the impact of Covid-19
91% of social workers felt they were well supported by their managers and had been supported with their individual circumstances during Covid" (Your Voice, our version of the social work health check, 2020)
We have developed a whole system that provides containment for social workers so that they can build ongoing relationships with families and use these relationships to make a difference for children and young people. This system is made up of small teams, or pods, of workers who get to know each other and the families they are supporting.
Five years ago, we re-designed our Children’s Social Work service based on feedback from families, young people and our practitioners. The changes we introduced have had a positive impact for social workers and their ability to provide consistent and purposeful support to children and young people. More recently, this included making sure that social workers have support during COVID, including the right PPE and a flexible approach to support families and keep children safe. The principles behind our model and how we have brought about positive change are subject to an ongoing evaluation. This was published as a report with the University of Sussex’s Centre for Social Work Innovation and Research in July 2017 – ‘Empathy, tenacity & compassion'.
“Social workers have a good understanding of the children they work with. They build meaningful relationships with children through direct work and regular visiting.”
The most recent Ofsted report rated our services as good and recognised the difference that the model of practice has made for children and young people in terms of greater continuity of social work relationships, improved outcomes and reduced risks.
The report also highlights that senior leaders have worked purposefully to build a skilled and stable workforce with manageable caseloads and that the decision not to employ agency staff has been a key part of this.
We know that our social workers are our greatest asset and we strive to give them the time and active support they need so that they can make a real difference to children’s lives and realise our vision for social work.
Our pod model is based on providing emotional containment for social workers and, as well as not using agency social workers, we have developed a supervision model which includes weekly group supervision, 1:1 supervision, and Reflective Practice Groups for practitioners and managers at every level.
The Reflective Practice Groups have been developed with the Centre for Social Work Practice, who have completed an evaluation of these groups. This is an example of how we are leading in the development of innovative models of social work delivery and sharing this learning with the wider system.
We have recognised that we need to do further work to support families and communities who experience racism in the city and to support our Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff. As a council we have made a commitment to being an anti-racist organisation and we have set up an Anti-Racist Project to make sure we achieve this within children's social work services. We have also appointed a Lead Practitioner for Anti-Racist Practice and we are one of the Local Authorities piloting the Workforce Race Equality Standards for social care in 2021. We would particularly encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Asian or from a minority ethnic background.
About the role
As a newly-qualified social worker, you will work as part of a small team (or pod) led by an experienced manager. You will have a protected caseload providing support to the same children throughout their journey from assessment to leaving care.
To help you make the transition from pre-qualifying training to a confident and competent practitioner, we will provide you with:
- A highly rated Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) induction and training programme.
- Robust supervision and support, including group supervision in your pod.
- Regular Practice Development Groups and support from a dedicated Professional Education Consultant.
As you progress beyond ASYE, you will continue your professional development through reflective practice groups, group and one-to-one supervision sessions and support from Lead Practitioners and professionals from other disciplines, in our Partners in Change Hub. You will also have opportunities to take part in practice research and have access to a comprehensive programme of learning and development linked to our model of practice.
About you
You must hold a Professional Social Work Qualification (e.g. CQSW, DipSW, MSW) and be registered as a social worker with Social Work England, at the point of starting in post on Monday 6th September 2021. In addition, you will need to have experience of working directly with children in need and their families in a multi-disciplinary service and be able to build strong, meaningful relationships with children from diverse backgrounds, their families and key agencies.
Our benefits
These include:
- Starting salary £29,577 - £32,234 per annum
- Salary range £32,910 up to £35,745 on completion of ASYE year + a market supplement which is currently £2,790 per annum
- Career average pension scheme
- 27 days leave a year
- Flexible working
- Childcare voucher scheme
Useful links
Social work in Brighton & Hove
Empathy, tenacity, & compassion: an evaluation of relationship-based practice in Brighton & Hove
Evaluation of Reflective Practice Groups in Brighton & Hove
If you would like to discuss this opportunity informally, please contact our Professional Education Consultants, Jo Moore and Rachel Foggitt, on jo.moore@brighton-hove.gov.uk or rachel.foggitt@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position less than 37 hours or term-time only.
Work Permits: We may be able to obtain a Work Permit for this post but this is subject to meeting the requirements of the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Points-based Immigration System. Please see Gov.uk for more information on the Skilled Worker Visa.
Company information
Please note that this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.
We welcome applications from all sections of the community but particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, LGB, male or trans as these groups are currently under-represented in our Directorate workforce.