Children’s Services is a service area within Coventry City Council that supports children and families across the city. 

The vision and commitment of Children’s Services ensures that a high quality and child centred service is provided, ensuring the right help at the right time and engaging with partners.  

Children’s Services is committed to outcome-driven and impactful interventions and measures success by the outcome for children and families.  

The service reflects and responds to the changing needs of Coventry and its population and understands the need for a reflective and flexible service with a strong Early Help offer to provide early and targeted intervention so that families can access the support they need from a variety of partners and agencies.  

A successful recruitment and retention strategy has resulted in a committed and stable workforce who are dedicated to delivering excellent services to children and young people in Coventry.  

If you are a newly qualified social worker we want to hear from you.  It is a great time to join our diverse workforce within Children’s Services, with great opportunities to develop your learning, ongoing training to improve practice, a clear way to progress through our progression pathway, and an engaging team that recognises success and values staff.  

“In Coventry our Social Workers combine established values and contemporary thinking to put the child at the beginning, middle and end of our work”.

Are you a Student Social Worker who is nearing the end of their qualification or recently qualified? Are you interested in a Career with Coventry Children’s Services? Coventry’s Social Work Academy will give you a great grounding for your career so that you flourish and have the tools to do your job well!

For Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs)

Coventry’s Social Work Academy will develop and promote your core skills, knowledge and skills; and support your journey into Newly Qualified Social Workers from the start of their professional careers to be confident in the work they deliver, with the re-assurance that within the high levels of challenge, there is a highly supportive network and framework around them to enable them to do their job well!

Newly Qualified Social Workers spend 6 months based within the Academy with time spent with “host” and “shadowing” teams, so NQSWs can experience developed practice and gain a good understanding of the systems, processes and services in Coventry. The learning environment of the Academy offers NQSWs higher levels of supervision and support throughout their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). NQSWs will receive coaching, mentoring and guidance from the Social Work Academy Team to assist them in transitioning from students into professional practice.

The Offer

High levels of supervision at early stages, promoting critical reflective practice which supports judgement, decision making and promotes emotional resilience.

NQSWs feel part of Coventry Children’s Services and are able to build an empowering supportive network around them to deliver “good” social work.

We will provide 6 months of core social work learning and professional development from experienced Social Workers, Practice Educators and University partners.

Opportunities to shadow and jointly work with children living in complex situations including children who are care experienced and subject to child protection plans, in order to prepare NQSWs for more independent practice as their experience grows.

Critical reflection time to explore the work NQSWs shadow to translate theory into practice and to consider the impact of interventions for the children and families.

Support and training in Signs of Safety methodologies with families, so that this practice naturally informs assessments and interventions with children and families.

A career progression scheme to promote and support both learning, and professional development.

Outreach support from the Social Work Academy for the final 6 months of the ASYE when NQSWs are settling into their team.

Come and join our webinar on Wednesday 12th May 2021 at 12-1.30pm via Microsoft Teams and meet the team at the Academy. The webinar will showcase the programme we offer throughout the 6 months of your development with the Academy, the structure of training, our employment offer, and the application/interview process. This will also give you an opportunity to ask any questions you have regarding the programme. Please email socialworkacademy@coventry.gov.uk to register your attendance and meet the team.

We are looking for Social Workers who can join the Social Work Academy in either Cohort 9 or Cohort 10 and are nearing the end of their qualification or recently qualified and completed their placements. You will either already be registered with Social Work England or be able to obtain your registration within 4 weeks of employment with us.

Please see the details below to better understand which cohort will work best for you.

Cohort 9                                                     Cohort 10
Start Date: Monday 06 Sept 2021            Start Date: Monday 29 November 2021

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 student Social Workers who are nearing the end of their qualification or recently qualified and have completed their placements. You will either already be registered with Social Work England or will be able to obtain your registration within 4 weeks of employment with us.

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

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