The Role

Do you see yourself as practitioner committed to improving outcomes for victims of domestic abuse?

Are you passionate about ensuring those affected by abuse and trauma get the support they need and the respect they deserve?

Would you like to join a service committed to innovation and transformation of the way we work with children and families?

If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

Our Families and Communities Service is looking to recruit a 4 Domestic Abuse Practitioners to work in our new Family Safeguarding teams and help play a central role in achieving positive outcomes for children and their families in Wandsworth!

About the role

We are looking for domestic abuse practitioners to join our Family Safeguarding teams at a time of exciting and positive change in Wandsworth. We will be implementing Family Safeguarding teams which will see multi-disciplinary specialists co-located within children’s social work teams. The teams will work collaboratively and in partnership with families, taking a whole family approach to support children to remain safely at home wherever possible. Motivational Interviewing is a key feature of the approach, a method which involves enhancing people’s motivation to change, working with their strengths and developing a plan with them.

Our Family Safeguarding teams will comprise:

• Team manager
• Social Workers
• Children’s Practitioner
• Domestic Abuse Practitioner (working with victims)
• Domestic Abuse Officer (working with perpetrators)
• Recovery Worker (Drug and Alcohol)
• Mental Health Practitioner and Psychologist/Family Therapist
• Business Support Officer

We are on a journey to be an outstanding local authority and are looking for applicants who wish to join us on this exciting journey. Working within our new Family Safeguarding teams, you will be developing these new and exciting roles in Wandsworth that will support high quality outcomes for children and their families.

About You

We are looking for domestic abuse practitioners that are passionate about transforming the lives of victims of domestic abuse, vulnerable children and their families. You will need to be able to  work alongside families and understand what a good life looks like for them and how we can work together creatively to achieve it. You will be skilled in building trusting relationships with people who have experienced domestic abuse, understand what matters most to them, increasing people’s hope, self-esteem and potential and connecting families to networks of support. We want you to be able to stick by families when they are in crisis and be involved in their lives in a way that is respectful and ethical, privileging their rights to be make the best possible decisions for their children wherever possible.

Benefits

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed or part-time hours, term time only, job shares and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 39 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops, and other establishments. You will also be availed of all training available to the service.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 11:59pm on Tuesday 7^th September 2021
• Shortlisting date: To be confirmed
• Interview date: To be confirmed

Useful Information: The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible. Your health and wellbeing are our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

Equality Statement

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.

Important Information

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). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

How to apply?

To be considered for interview your CV and supporting statement must highlight your knowledge, skills and experience listed in the Job Profile located at the bottom of the advert.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Louise, Principal Social Worker, louise.jones@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk or Sarah McGarry, Service Development Lead, sarah.mcgarry@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

We will be hosting a Virtual Recruitment Event on 1^st September from 6-7:30pm. We have several specialist roles for the innovative services we are developing. We are pleased that Dr McKay, previously Director of the Institute of Family Therapy, will be joining us at this event to talk about the complexity of managing change in children’s social care. Please see the link below to book your place:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/164827903697

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils