Newly Qualified Children’s Social Workers (NQSW’s).
Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Children and Young People’s Services
Children's Social Care, Various locations
37 hours per week, permanent
Salary details: Up to £31,346 & excellent benefits
Due to current Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions we are following Government advice and this may result in interviews being held via video call.
Please note: these opportunities are specifically for social work university students completing their Social work qualification from now up until June 2021.
Students completing their degree from July onwards – There will be another opportunity to apply in July, previous applicants will not be considered.
Key benefits for Newly Qualified Social Workers – why come and work for Rotherham?
You will be joining an authority Ofsted rate as Good
Manageable and protected caseloads for NQSW’s
Strong management support and oversight with approachable and supportive senior managers
Regular reflective supervision
Excellent professional learning & development opportunities – guaranteed 15 days per year, underpinned by the Rotherham Family Approach which incorporates ‘Signs of Safety’, ‘Restorative Approaches’, and ‘Social Pedagogy’ as our methodological approach and framework
Additional support from Social Work Practice Consultants as part of the NQSW / ASYE offer
Bespoke Learning Academy to support practitioners
Excellent social work case management and reporting systems making your job easier
An accredited social work career pathway to Level 2, 3 and Advanced Practitioner positions and a proven record of ‘growing our own’ at all levels.
A positive learning environment to enhance your social work career.
Opportunity to talk to current staff via a virtual drop in to gain a greater insight
Able to offer fixed term contracts to cover maternity leave should that suit your personal circumstances
Generous annual leave and other great benefits
Key developments for social work practice – our approach
Strong and creative Early Help multi-agency offer
Small SW teams
Edge of Care’ Service, including ‘Intensive Adolescent Response’ and ‘Family Group Conferencing’
Investment in additional high quality therapeutic support for vulnerable children and young people
Further investment in in-house provision for our Looked After children
Priority ‘fast track’ CAMHS assessment and therapeutic intervention for Looked After Children and Care Leavers
Innovative preparation for Care Leaver’s Apprenticeship Scheme
New Care Leaver’s accommodation with on-site support facilities
An innovative Children’s Resourcing approach to recruitment, retention and well-being
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
We will listen. We will act. We will do the right things for the right reasons. Will you?
Come and start your social work career with Children & Young People’s Service at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. We have strong and accessible leadership in place and a heartfelt pledge to provide a best practice centre of excellence. We are committed to cultivating a positive, practice-led and child centred culture underpinned by plenty of support at all levels. Staff told Ofsted Inspectors in October 2020 that they ‘feel well supported’.
We are committed to providing an outstanding service to the children and young people of Rotherham. We regularly review our social care teams to make sure we have the right resources in place to reduce caseloads, streamline administration and maximise the benefits of our new state of the art IT systems. This gives our staff more time to dedicate to building a rapport and developing relationships that matter. You will be joining an organisation that is rewarding in every sense and most importantly, that will serve our community to the highest possible standards.
We are recruiting Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW's) as part of a very successful strategic workforce development to grow a permanent, skilled and stable workforce and be the local employer of choice. All of our NQSWs will undertake work in the local community undertaking assessments with children, young people and their families to clarify what is working well, what is worrying people and what needs to happen next. As key workers for vulnerable children in need of support, protection and care NQSWs will work together with other professionals to and in partnership with parents/carers to deliver plans to build safety, stability and wellbeing for children and young people. This will require direct work skills to ascertain the views, wishes and feelings of children and young people.
We also have a nationally recognised Newly Qualified Social Worker support programme which is supporting staff through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment. We will work with you to provide you with a broad based practice experience and support you to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to manage a successful transition to undertaking statutory high risk practice.
All our social worker positions are career graded as you progress through your career pathway. As you progress you will develop the skills to manage increasing levels of responsibility, more complex and emotionally demanding aspects of practice. We will offer you support every step of the way, and our Practitioner’s Improvement Board provides a formal platform for you to share views and concerns with senior leaders and the service as a whole. Feedback from the people we recruited last year tells us that they feel really supported, enjoy working in a friendly and professional environment and benefit from quality development and learning opportunities.
Our Newly Qualified Social Workers will receive a high level of supervision, increased support and a protected caseload.
ABOUT YOU
You will have experience of working directly with children, young people and their families (through previous/current employment placements).
You will have some experience of working directly with children and young people ‘in need’ of support, protection and care (preferably through previous / current employment and/or social work training placements).
You will be able to organise your daily workload independently and prioritise competing demands with support.
You will be able to demonstrate initiative and be able to respond independently to unexpected situations.
You will be able to communicate clearly, verbally and in writing, acting professionally, respectfully and tactfully when dealing with areas of sensitivity and potential conflict or disagreement.
You will be sufficiently confident to undertake home visits and attend meetings with families and other professionals.
You will have some experience of undertaking Early Help Assessments / Statutory Social Work Single Assessments of needs and circumstances.
You will understand the threshold and processes for undertaking child protection enquiries and joint investigations with the police and know about the practical application of child protection procedures.
You will be capable of accurate reporting and have the confidence to communicate complex information to a variety of audiences.
You will have some understanding of how evidence is presented in court.
You will be passionate about maximising a child’s life chances.
You will care and want to make a positive difference for children, young people and their families.
The selection process for these roles will involve an Assessment Centre approach which will take place on February 26th 2021.
If you have any questions regarding the roles please email them to childrenssocialcarejobs@rotherham.gov.uk
Now is the time to come and work for Rotherham Council Children and Young People’s Service. For more information about Rotherham Social Care jobs, please visit our CYPS Microsite by Clicking Here
From 1st April 2017 to 31st March 2022 employees paid at Band D and above are subject to a temporary pay reduction of 1.15% spread out by means of a weekly / monthly deduction (dependent on pay frequency) from each pay period over the full financial year. In recognition of implementing this temporary measure, those who experience a pay reduction will be awarded of three additional day’s leave (pro rata for part-time).
This post operates under a Career Grade/Grading Assessment Scheme, with starting salary and progression through the grades being linked to experience, qualifications and level of work being undertaken.
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
This post involves working with children and therefore if successful you will be required to apply for a disclosure of criminal records check at an enhanced level. Further information about the Disclosure Scheme can be found at www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check