About Us

Children's Social Workers and Senior Social Workers - Family Help Service
Up to £51,127 per annum (subject to experience) + Benefits*
Permanent, Full Time (36 Hours)
Wandsworth, London
Ofsted Rating: ‘Good’ 

Benefits:

• £5,000 welcome bonus* and £1,000 retention bonus (every 2 years of service)
• Payment of Social Work England registration fee
• Plus more – view our Children’s Services offer here.

Are you an experienced and qualified Social Worker passionate about making a difference to children’s lives and want to join an organisation committed to outstanding, relationship-based social work practice? 

Our values inspire our Outstanding Practice Framework, which creates the context for you as a Social Worker in Wandsworth to build relationships with families that bring about change to support children to live at home wherever possible. Following our implementation of Family Safeguarding model, you will join multiagency teams offering the best practice conditions we’ve ever had to achieve the most positive outcomes for children and families. You will have solid and strong leadership in Ana Popovici and Rasheed Pendry, who have an exciting vision to transform our approaches to the most vulnerable in society.

Can you join us and help children and their families by delivering evidence-based interventions which respect and promote their rights?

About the Role

Our newly formed Family Help Service has a stable, knowledgeable and creative team. Social workers benefit from small teams, regular supervision and a caseload that allows them to spend time with children and young people building relationships and building on their strengths and those of their wider family network. You will be a valued member of our team and encouraged to be a leader and champion of exemplary practice.

Our Family Help model aims to support children and their families through consistent relationships and skilled interventions, rooted in systemic practice. You will work with families to co-produce child and family assessments, and build family led plans under Child in Need and Child Protection frameworks, as well as in care proceedings. 

Our social workers practice alongside co-located Children’s Practitioners, Adult Mental Health Practitioners, Substance Misuse and Domestic Abuse Practitioners. We have in-house family therapy and Social Care CAMHS teams, as well as a range of opportunities for progression into management or practice specialist social work roles.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• You will hold social work qualification with Social Work England membership and have completed your ASYE Year.
• Experience of working across voluntary and statutory agencies with applied knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance.
• An excellent communicator and collaborator who is compassionate and understands the needs of children and young people.
• A 'can do' attitude coupled with creativity, you will be a champion for children and families and support them with hope, self-esteem and potential.

How We Support You:

• You will be part of a small team of five social workers with manageable caseloads.
• Have business support for your team who work in collaboration with you.
• You will be part of various working groups within the service and across the partnerships to champion areas of best practice and influence positive outcomes for children and families.
• You will have access to an excellent training offer for Social Workers ranging from Systemic Training, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Practice and various other reflective spaces to promote best practice.
• Access to great transport links.

Contact Details

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Elizabeth Souter, Assistant Director of Family Help – elizabeth.souter@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

If you are an experienced Social Worker who meets the above criteria and want to play a central role in providing transformational help for families to achieve positive outcomes for children, Wandsworth is where you need to be, and we encourage you to apply for this opportunity. 

We may close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We review applications as and when they come in and invite successful candidates to our regular Friday interview panel. 

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. 

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know. 

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.  

*The welcome bonus is paid in two instalments: the first £2,500 after 6 months on successful completion of your probation period and the second £2,500 after 12 months of employment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils