Social Worker in Children and Young People Disability Service
In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ.
Looking ahead, there are plans for the delivery of new homes and new schools and the London Cancer Hub is being developed, while the Council is also seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment.
All of this demonstrates a good track record and an authority that is ambitious and set to deliver more improvements for the borough. We've set out our vision for the future of Sutton in our corporate plan - Ambitious for Sutton. This strategic plan will shape the outcomes we achieve, the services we provide, and the impact we have on residents, to make Sutton a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Situated in Zone 5, Sutton is less than 30 minutes by train from central London, and south and south west London are easily accessible by public transport. There are 10 train stations which serve key neighbourhoods within the borough providing direct connections to London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. Sutton also has direct rail connections with Epsom, Dorking, Guildford and Horsham, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and West Croydon for the London Overground. There's also an extensive road network which provides close and easy access to the M25 and M23.
About the Role
Social Workers on selected pay grades are eligible for our Welcome and Retention Bonus:
- £1000 paid in your first month salary and £1000 paid at the end of your 1st completed year in service.
- £2000 paid after your 2nd completed year in service.
- £3000 paid in your 3rd completed year in service and every completed year thereafter.
- Reimbursement of the Social Work England Registration.
Social Workers within this service area are able to work flexibly between home and work to meet the needs of the service whilst recognising the benefits that a hybrid model of working can bring.
As a Social Worker within the Children and Young People's Disability Service (CYPDS) you will be responsible for a caseload of children on child-in-need plans, child protection plans, and some who may be looked after and subject to PLO or care proceedings. Your role will include the undertaking of all tasks associated with children under statutory frameworks. You will work closely with colleagues in Health and Education Services, and lead on creating short breaks support packages. You will also have the opportunity to develop skills in supporting young people in their preparation for adulthood, their transition to adult services, and parent carer needs assessments.
For more information about the role and/or an informal conversation, view the Role Profile or contact Service Manager, Joanne Mitchell (Joanne.mitchell@sutton.gov.uk) or recruitment@kingston.gov.uk.
About Us
Sutton's CYPDS consists of two social work teams, and a team of specialist support workers and provides a specialist service to children and young people with disabilities and their families. We are passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children and young people with disabilities, and promoting robust preparation for adulthood. We pride ourselves on engaging fully with children and young people, and ensuring that direct work is undertaken so their voices are heard. Our service has a strong learning culture, and there are many training opportunities. Our culture of strong, accessible and supportive management will provide you with good regular supervision and the opportunity to participate in restorative group supervisions.
About You
We welcome applications from Social Workers with significant experience in supporting children with disabilities, as well as social workers with experience of other statutory frontline children's services. You will have strong assessment, analytical and risk management skills combined with excellent communication skills. You will also be able to plan care packages and monitor and review their effectiveness.
In addition, we would expect the successful candidate to demonstrate the following competences (not limited to):
- You are a Qualified Social Worker with a Social Work degree or recognised qualification and registered with the relevant regulatory body Social Work England
- Have completed the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
- Hold the relevant skills, knowledge and aptitude to ensure that all vulnerable people are safeguarded from abuse and that all statutory functions, local policy, procedures are adhered to in a timely manner and documented accordingly.
- Compassionate and empathetic approach to work effectively with individuals and families affected by a learning disability
- Ability to demonstrate understanding, patience, and sensitivity when interacting with service users.
Our Offer To You
As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we're committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We're constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across - however big or small - will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.
In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps.
Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:
- Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
- Flexi-time (Please note, this applies to roles at grades 1-9 only)
- Comprehensive learning and development programme
- Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Car parking scheme
- Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
- Zip car scheme
- Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
- Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
- Subsidised gym membership
Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.
To support our diversity agenda and reduce the risk of bias in our recruitment activities, our short listing process completely anonymises personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc. Our hiring managers review and short list applications based on the information provided as part of your application as to how well you meet the requirements and criteria for the role, as outlined in the job profile.
The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Additional Information
We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Borough and we aim to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve. We are respectful of difference and realise the positive value of diversity in our workforce. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. As part of our Disability Confident Committed status, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.
We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.
The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the UK website for right to work guidance.
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Important Information - Criminal Records
This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory result to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
Job Profile
Social Worker - Role Profile - People (1) (2).pdf - 91KB Opens in a new window