The Role

Do you see yourself as a committed, proactive and motivate individual who is passionate about making a difference for children with special educational and disabilities (SEND)?

Would you like the opportunity to shape and make a difference to the lives of children and young people in Wandsworth by joining a council which promotes and achieves positive outcomes for children?

Does the sound of SEND social worker appeal to you?

If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

We are looking for a Social Worker to join our amazing Integrated Front Door (IFD)/ Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) to play a pivotal role in achieving positive outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs in Wandsworth. Come and join us on our transformation journey!

About the service

MASH Wandsworth has become integrated with Early Help to provide early intervention to children and families.  Within this integration, we are seeking a Social Worker with SEND knowledge and experience to work in line with The Special Needs Assessment Service (SNAS) on behalf of children and young people with severe and complex special educational needs and their parents. 

We work within the Local Authority’s statutory responsibilities towards children and young people Health and Care (EHC) Plans, ensuring the efficient and timely assessments of children and young people. The work is interesting, varied and can be challenging at times, although very rewarding.

About the team and role

Wandsworth MASH is a vibrant and dynamic team which compromises of our partners, Police, Health and Education. The team also includes a plethora of specialist workers, for example, a Parental Substance Misuse specialist; a No Recourse to Public Funds specialist (NRPF), Early Help practitioners and you will also be a part of this unique team. The team is very supportive of each other to ensure we demonstrate good practice and achieve the best outcomes for our children, young people and their parents.

We work in a fast paced, busy environment and continuously work within statutory expectations and guidelines. There is also excellent training, learning and development opportunities, regular supervision and team meetings to allow our staff to develop their skills, knowledge and practice.

To be shortlisted for interview your CV and personal statement will cover the following:

• An ability to work in a timely manner in a busy and pressurised environment with competing pressures.
• Past experience/knowledge in SEND.

• Effective communication both orally and in writing with a wide range of professionals and parents
• A desire to work with young people with Special Education Needs and Disabilities.
• Experience of working collaboratively with schools and other education settings, professionals from education, health and social care, and children and families.

For more information about the role, please see job profile attached at the bottom of the advert. For an informal discussion, please contact either Coleen Myers by email Coleen.Myers@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk or Iain Low by email Iain.Low@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, 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.

Indicative recruitment timeline

• Closing date: 11:59pm on Sunday 16th January 2022
• Shortlisting date: week commencing 17th January 2022
• Interview date: week commencing 24th January 2022

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 is 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 supporting statement (no longer than 2 sides of a4) must highlight your knowledge, skills and experience listed in the attached Job Profile located at the bottom of the advert.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils