Hours:
37.0 Hours per Week

Are you a Social Worker who has a passion for working with and supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families? If so, we want to hear from you. We are looking for both newly qualified and experienced Children’s Social workers to join our SEND Social Work Team, to play a central role in delivering high-quality and responsive social work.  

Whether you are newly qualified, or looking for a new challenge, we will provide you with appropriate training and support to assist you in making the transition into this highly rewarding area of social work, delivering a statutory social work service to children and young people aged 0-18 years with a disability, as well as a range of support services to enable families to care for their children successfully and in relation to short break support. You can help us to make a positive difference for our children and young people by securing the best outcomes for them through careful and thoughtful planning.

Close working relationships with our health, education and social care practitioners will enable you to successfully bring together and coordinate the team around the child to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to safeguarding, using the practice framework of Signs of Safety, for which you will be provided with training and support regarding the framework, as required.

You’ll act as the lead professional in statutory cases - including child in need, child protection, care proceedings, looked-after children, mental capacity and Deprivation of Liberty work - while undertaking the full range of social work tasks with disabled children, young people and their families.  However, additional support will be given to those undertaking their ASYE.

As noted in our Ofsted inspection (November 2019), our staff are happy to work in Solihull; they feel well supported and valued; caseloads are manageable; and our staff benefit from training opportunities. 

There is great scope for professional development here. In your first month, we will agree a personal development plan with you, which will include access to our high quality internal training programme and our Continuous Professional Development framework. We will also provide specialist training, to enable to you become a champion in an area such as autism, palliative care and complex needs or learning disabilities.

You will need:

• A professional Social Work qualification and Social Work England Registration
• Experience of working with children, young people with disabilities and their families
• Sound knowledge of relevant childcare legislation, including a clear understanding of ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’.
• An ability to build effective relationships with children, young people and families.

In return, you will be part of a small and friendly team where your contribution will be really valued and you will have the opportunity to shape and improve the services we deliver to our diverse community.

We also offer:

• A clear career structure
• A competitive pay scheme which will recognise your experience
• Guaranteed monthly supervision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme – a 24 hour independent, free and confidential advice and support service
• Flexible working arrangements including flexi leave of up to 24 days per year and agile working arrangements such as home working (with up-to-date ICT equipment provided)
• The opportunity to buy up to 10 days additional leave per year
• Plenty of free on-site parking
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee benefits including a staff discount card

We are a small and friendly local authority with good relationships across the children’s social work service. Furthermore, we have close partnerships across agencies in the borough, which allow for a culture of shared learning and mentoring between agencies to further support your professional development.

To apply, please click on the link below. If you have a specific question regarding these vacancies or you would like an informal discussion, please contact Nicki Forget, telephone 0121 788 4300 or 07767 865 407, or email nicki.forget@solihull.gov.uk

#ChangingLiveSolihull

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the closing date for these vacancies has been extended to 20th December 2020. Interviews will be held on 12th January 2021.

In view of the current social distancing and infection measures currently in place, Solihull Council are keeping its recruitment processes and approach to face to face interviewing under constant review. There may be various alternative options available including video interviews however, this will be taken under advisement.  Candidates who are selected for interview will be informed and advised accordingly.

This post will require a DBS check for regulated activity for working with children, and dependent upon the team, also for regulated activity for working with adults.

This post if covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.

Solihull Council has a responsibility for, and is committed to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.