In Coventry, we are working hard to build something special. Children and families are at the heart of everything we do, and we believe they deserve the best outcomes.  Children’s Services provides a wide range of statutory and non-statutory duties, from Early Help Services, through to children who are looked after.  

The service reflects and responds to the changing needs of children and their families.  It works to enable a reflective and flexible approach, with a strong Early Help offer and a real focus on Relationship Based Practice and Signs of Safety, which focuses on intervention and keeping families together. 

Children’s Services is proud of its achievements to date and is continuing to ensure children and families remain at the heart of all it does.  We will provide you with an environment where social work can flourish, with high support, high challenge and manageable caseloads.  Children’s Services is proud of its workforce, who are committed, dedicated, and work to a high standard. We are seeking other like minded practitioners who would like to join us.  We pride ourselves on building relationships with families and partners and hold respectful practice at the centre of all we do.

The Through Care Service works with looked after children and care leavers.  The service is co-located with carers advisors, a housing liaison officer and a UASC liaison officer.  Through Care is an innovative and dynamic service involved in national pilots of Lifelong Links, Leaving Well and New Belongings and were shortlisted for the 2019 social workers of the year awards.  Coventry is part of the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum.

It’s great to know that you are interested in working with us at Coventry City Council. As a prospective employee, it is important that everyone who works for us is committed to our One Coventry values and shares our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. 

Our Values are:

We are looking to recruit a Personal Advisers to provide statutory services to care leavers and looked after children who are approaching or have already ceased being looked after. This is within the Through Care team.

Through Care is an innovative service within Leaving Care which is part of the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum (NLCBF) and has had good practice highlighted around care leavers in University and the recently published Local Offer. Through Care were BAFTA nominated for Super Kids and are the pilot authority for Leaving Well via Social Finance as well as having strong relationships with local businesses.

You will be working directly with 16-25 year old care leavers to facilitate their transition to adulthood and independence from local authority care, ensuring the young people’s objectives that are set out in their Pathway Plan are met. Experience of working with young people in youth work or social care settings is essential.

Leaving care services continue to support young people regardless of where they are residing within the country.

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 response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
 

We are looking for candidates who:

• Have the ability to manage a caseload of young people with differing levels of complexities and challenges.
• Have the ability to independently manage their diary and to prioritise conflicting demands.
• Are flexible and tenacious in their approach, also being willing to support colleagues when needed.
• Are able to build and maintain relationships with young people, being persistent with difficult to engage young people.
• Have the ability to work with other professionals and appropriately challenge when needed.
• Is creative, proactive and willing to learn.
• Is able to visit young people at least every 8 weeks, update pathway plans every 6 months (or more often when needed), and are able to travel outside of the Coventry area.

Please note, the salary advertised is full-time salary based on 37-hour working week so will pro-rata accordingly for this role. 

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

Interview date: 28th or 30th September 2021

Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!

There's a huge buzz about the city – Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.

We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.

As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.

Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Outstanding local government pension scheme
• Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
• Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
• Vibrant employee networks