The Role

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children and families?

Do you believe that the very best practice is delivered by practitioners who are supported and helped to be the best they can be?

Do you want to join a workforce learning & development team that is committed to innovation and transformation?

If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

We are recruiting a Professional Development Officer for our Children’s Social Care Academy. Come and join us!

About the service

Here in Wandsworth, we are on an exciting journey of transformation. We have developed our new Outstanding Practice Framework and are the first borough in London to implement Family Safeguarding.

Family Safeguarding is a 'think family’, strengths-based approach, focussed on addressing not only children's needs, but whole family need by working together with children and the adults around them; including co-location and embedding of specialist adult workers in domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health into children in need and child protection teams.

The methods we use include systemic practice and motivational interviewing and all staff are being trained with the aim of working collaboratively with families, empowering and engaging parents to make positive changes for their children and themselves. We are committed to working in a manner that privileges relationships in the process of change. The innovations in our service are focussed on the clear goal of providing support that is genuine, transparent, compassionate, and recognises strengths.

We are investing massively in our workforce, our leaders as well as partners to enable us to make our engagement with families and communities in Wandsworth a success. We have strong and visionary leadership from our Director and Deputy Director of Children’s Services who have the highest commitment to transform the help and support we provide to the children & families of Wandsworth. We are particularly keen

About you

We are looking for a creative and passionate social worker who relishes working in a fast paced and innovative context, enjoys workforce challenges and is skilled in building relationships across services with practitioners, managers and senior leaders. This role is key to supporting the development of high quality CPD, practice improvement and training opportunities for our Children’s Social Care and Early Help workforce; working with partners in our local Teaching Partnership and co-ordinating pre-qualifying routes to social work.  You will have excellent working knowledge of the children’s social work Post Qualifying Standards and the needs of newly qualified social workers in their ASYE; creativity to contribute to practice improvement that has been identified through quality assurance mechanisms; and a keen interest in the learning and development cycle and evaluation of impact of this on practice with children and families.

About the role

Our workforce is our greatest asset to supporting children and their families. The training, development and support we provide our workforce should be nothing short of the best. Our Children’s Social Care Academy works across children’s social care, early help and our safeguarding partners, delivering a core learning and development programme; as well as programmes of development to embed our practice framework and associated delivery models. The Academy team is experienced, stable and well respected within the workforce.

Contact details

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Louise, Principal Social Worker, louise.jones@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

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 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 Sunday 7th August 2022
• Interview dates: To be confirmed

Useful Information: The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once enough applications have 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 (no longer than 1 side of a4) must highlight your knowledge, skills and experience listed in the Job Profile located at the bottom of the advert.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils