Parenting Assessment Team Social Worker
About Southwark:
Southwark is a large, ambitious and progressive council with a ‘can do’ attitude and enviable reputation. As a Council, we are successful, passionate and forward thinking. We are committed to our ‘Fairer Futures for All’ promise, which ensures that our residents and businesses are central to everything we do.
Children & Families Our most recent Ofsted inspection was graded as ‘good’ in all areas The children in our care said we are a “special council and are like a family to them”. “Staff enjoy working in Southwark. Their morale is high, and they appreciate the high level of support, the career progression opportunities, the learning and development offer and the ambition that the organisation has for them.” Ofsted, November 2022 At Southwark Children’s Services, we pride ourselves on doing our vital job differently. Our systemic, holistic, family-centred approach sits at the core of our values. Our endlessly supportive, collective, colleague-centred culture underpins everything we do to protect vulnerable children across our borough. “Children are at the heart of practice in Southwark.” “Staff have time to work intensively with families when needed, and to reflect and consider ways to improve children’s lives” We are currently seeking outstanding Social Workers.
The Role:
Southwark Social Care are looking for a confident and dedicated Social Worker to join our Parenting Assessment Team. This role will enable you to develop your knowledge and skills to undertake robust and analytical parenting assessments of parents whose children are subject to pre-proceedings and care proceedings. You will be responsible for completing independent and comprehensive assessments working in a small practice group lead by the Team Manager in conjunction with a Senior Social Worker.
About You:
We are seeking a confident and skilled social worker who would like to enhance their experience in undertaking parenting assessments and working under the Public Law Outline. You will be expected to work directly with parents and their children to provide a robust and analytical assessment of a parent’s capacity to meet their child needs to assist the social work team and professionals to make important decisions regarding what is best for children in the long term. In working as part of a small practice group, you will be expected to attend and contribute to Group Supervision to offer support to colleagues undertaking their own assessments.
We have fantastic career progression opportunities. In a focused visit earlier this year, Ofsted confirmed that “Staff have access to a wide range of induction and training courses. They report that they are supported and encouraged to engage in training and development, and these events provide good opportunities to reflect and focus on practice improvement”.
We currently have one full time Social Worker secondment opportunity in the Parenting Assessment Team (PAT).
If you have any questions or would like to arrange an informal discussion - please email – Emmanuel.hanson@southwark.gov.uk or emma.rollin@southwark.gov.uk
As a Social Worker in the Parenting Assessment Team, you will benefit from:
- Access to dedicated advice, reflective developmental support, and targeted specialist interventions from systemic practitioners and psychologists, embedded within teams.
- A competitive salary, good pension scheme and flexible working Annual leave starting at 28 days rising to 36 days with continuous service.
- The opportunity to undertake PAMS training as well as access to various other ongoing training and career development opportunities, including the accredited Foundation Level in Systemic Practice, restorative practices, secure base, and attachment or trauma informed practice.
- Support, advice and guidance from dedicated specialist staff including Child Exploitation Coordinator, Court Case Manager, Professional Educators (support NQSWs), as well as a range of other support and learning and development opportunities.
- Cycle to work or season-ticket loans, and further employee benefit schemes
- An extensive range of excellent community services to support your team’s work with families.
Recruitment Timetable:
Assessments and Interviews– 20 and 21 June 2023.
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
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