Social Worker / Senior Practitioner - YJES OCC614612

Job details

Salary range: £35,745 - £46,464 per annum

Work location: We cover all of Oxfordshire, with cases allocated according to location.  We are an agile working organisation; you may be required to work from office base or remote locations depending on the needs of the children and young people we support. 

Hours per week: 37 - we are open to discussions about flexible working 

Contract type: Permanent - we have two Senior Practitioner roles and four Social Worker roles available 

Vetting requirements: This role is subject to a Criminal Records Check 

Closing date: Friday 17th May 2024

Interview date: Friday 24th May 2024

About us

Working together to help Children, young people, and families to thrive.

Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which will enable us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice.  We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of ‘daring to do it differently’, as we continue to strive to do better.  

In our Children, Education, & Families Directorate, we do our very best to help children, young people, and families to thrive. We know the importance of building relationships, empowering people, and building on strengths and this is reflected in our restorative, relational practice approach. 
 

We’ve been consistently rated as “good” by Ofsted, but we are not content with that; we are ambitious and want to do even better! Oxfordshire County Council is a financially stable local authority which is committed to investing in Children, Education, and Families, to ensure that we have the resources we need to make a real difference to the families we work with.
 

About the role

We’ve transformed the way we help our frontline social workers get the best outcomes possible for every child and family we work with. We do this through manageable caseloads, great management support, reflective supervision, continual professional development in a learning environment, and unwavering focus on your wellbeing, so that you can always bring your best self to the children you support.

The Youth Justice and Exploitation Service is a dynamic multi agency service which supports children, young people and their families where the risk is from outside of the home. The exploitation side of the service supports children at risk of criminal or sexual exploitation, serious youth violence and who are going missing. We provide support to the children through statutory Social Work plans but we recognise the need to remain creative and flexible in our approach. 

We are a strong, supportive team and we have excellent links with the other agencies in Oxfordshire meaning our approach to young people is truly multi agency.  

We are looking to recruit Social Workers who have a passion for working with this group of young people to help shape and deliver our vision of working together to help children, young people and families thrive; it’s a really exciting time to join us!

As part of our team, you will:

•    Focus on successful outcomes for families using a relational, strengths-based approach. 

•    Use motivational interviewing to engage and support families with making the changes they need.

•    Be supported with individual supervision to promote your wellbeing and professional development.

•    Hold a manageable caseload of no more than 18 children as an experienced social worker, to ensure that you have the time you need to spend with the children and families you are working with.

•    Have opportunities to continue to learn while you work, by undertaking training, webinars, practice learning events and reflective sessions. 
 

About you

We would like to hear from you if you are…

•    Kind and caring, with an understanding of and respect for individuals’ qualities, abilities, and diverse backgrounds. You work in partnership with parents and have proven experience in building strong multiagency relationships.

•    Advocating for equality and integrity in all you do, with a tenacious and creative approach to your work, you are confident in managing risk within a multi-agency system.

•    Always learning, with a passion to grow and develop your skills.

•    Willing to take responsibility and contribute to the delivery of Oxfordshire County Council’s vision.  

•    Driven to do it differently to embark on a journey of continuous improvement.
 

Rewards and benefits

•  
• Culture of flexible working
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• Up to 33 days holiday p.a. plus bank holidays
• Option to ‘buy’ additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development

Would you like to know more?

Please click here to view the Job Description and Selection Criteria

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact please contact Kath Hunt on Kath.Hunt@Oxfordshire.gov.uk 

Are you a newly qualified or experienced practitioner from overseas with rights to work in the UK and Social Work England registered?

Learn more about how we support you with our first-class induction training, onboarding care and ongoing personal development.

Join our vibrant and passionate workforce and make a positive difference to the lives of children, young people and their families.
 

Application Procedure

To apply, please complete an online application form by clicking either of the Apply Now buttons at the top and bottom of this advert. This includes a section asking you to explain how you meet the selection criteria, as specified in the job posting. You may attach a cover letter and/or CV to your application form, however it is not mandatory.  

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