Sessional Social Worker (Emergency Duty Team) RBKC613907

Job Summary:

Salary range: £100 flat rate up to and including first 2 hours of the shift. £30 an hour thereafter if called out.
Work location: WFH unless called out.
Hours per week: Shift work as and when required, between Mon- Fri 5pm and 9am. Saturday and Sundays, 9am-9pm or 9pm-9am. Bank holidays hours are as weekends. 
Contract type: Casual
Vetting requirements: Enhanced DBS Check
Closing date: 31st August 2024

About Us:

Make yourself available for extra shifts – and be there for children when they really need you. 

With a determination to put people at the heart of everything that we do, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is committed to providing our local residents with a great quality of life. This commitment is particularly important when considering children in need, and as such, we are partnering with our friends at Westminster City Council and Hammersmith & Fulham Council to provide emergency cover for children whenever they need us – and it is here that we need you. 
 

The Role:

While many local authorities use sessional Social Workers sparingly, we know that they play a vital role in protecting children beyond regular working hours. In this highly varied role within the Shared Service Emergency Duty Team, you will therefore be available for call-outs, as and when children most need you. This will be Monday to Friday, between the hours of 5pm and 1am, while on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays (including Christmas Day) we might ask you to support us in either the 9am-5pm shift, or 5pm to 1am. Within the shift you are working, you might be called out at any time, but never after 1am when working the evening shift. With the scope to fit this work around your existing job, this is a great way to earn a little extra – while making a tangible difference to children at their most vulnerable moments. 

If you are called out, you will carry out emergency risk assessments and child protecting investigations, and use relationship-based approaches to determine the measures that need to be taken to safeguard children. Acting as an ‘appropriate adult’, you may need to place unaccompanied minors, return children to their placement, or handle any other emergency. You might also be their advocate in custody, resolve an immediate family or carer conflict or be the first port of call for an unaccompanied young person.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information.  

About You:

This role would be well-suited to a qualified and HCPC-registered Social Worker with a minimum of 4 years of experience, and a good knowledge of the relevant regulations and legislation surrounding child protection. As you will often be travelling to conduct visits at night, you will probably need access to a car, (not essential) and you will be comfortable working alone. With great communication skills and the capacity to work with children and families from a variety of backgrounds and multicultural communities, you will also be able to quickly build relationships with partners in statutory and voluntary agencies. 

In turn, we can offer a flat rate of up to £100 for the shift inclusive of the  first 2 hours of a call out, with £30 an hour thereafter if you are called out.

Please apply online explaining how you meet the requirements set out in the person specification and job description. CV’s will not be considered for this role.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.