Social Worker – Assessment

The Children’s Assessment Teams have exciting opportunities to recruit full time Social Workers to complete timely and robust assessments for our children and their families. To help us recruit social workers who are committed to working in Middlesbrough, we are currently offering a 15% supplement to social work salaries. This additional 15% will be reviewed at the end of October 2024. Children’s Services in Middlesbrough have been working hard to improve over the last few years, with steady improvements as outlined in our recent Ofsted inspection, which found: ‘Most areas identified for improvement have been addressed. The senior leadership team knows the service well; it knows what still needs to be strengthened and there are several plans to further develop services for children’ (March 2023) We are looking to recruit enthusiastic and dynamic Social Workers to join our Assessment Service. Our Assessment Service is a fast-paced environment, so we want Social Workers who are professionally curious and analytical but can work at pace and produce good quality assessments. Our talented team of managers will provide daily management oversight and support to ensure that our work is timely and robust. As a Social Worker in the Assessment Service, you will carry out assessments within 45 working days and share your expert advice with your manager as to whether risks have been managed and if the child no longer needs a Social Worker or any other type of support, whether they can be stepped down to Early Help, or whether they will need a longer period of intervention via our Safeguarding Service. We work closely with the MACH to ensure timely and appropriate responses. Within the Assessment Service, we also have a cohort of Senior Resource Workers who undertake short periods of intervention with families when longer-term support is not needed. We have the support of the Early Help offer and ‘Strengthening Families’ Teams whom we work closely with for step ups and step downs, making sure our families receive the right support, at the right level, at the right time. You would be part of supporting our improvement plans, ensuring quality of practice and direct work, and building strong and restorative relationships with children, families, and partner agencies. We are a considerate employer that recognizes that many Social Workers are working parents or have caring responsibilities, and we work to be flexible, so that you can do both jobs well, with our support. Alongside the vast range of benefits, Social Workers in Middlesbrough will also have a manageable caseload with strong peer and management support and regular supervision from your Team Manager. We are passionate about getting it right for our staff, as we are for our children, and we have realistic and colorful Practice Standards that bring this to life. We want for the children of Middlesbrough what we would want for our own children at home. Middlesbrough is fully committed to a developed improvement plan and is pleased to be working with our children, young people, and their families, our employees, and partner agencies to transform our social work practices and make a difference to the lives of the families and young people of Middlesbrough. Why work for Middlesbrough? You will join our fast-paced, dynamic, and supportive team of Assessment Service Social Workers, bringing skills, knowledge, and strong values to Middlesbrough. We have a strong and highly skilled group of Practice Leads to support you in areas of your development identified, to drive practice that is thorough and manages risks but also kind, creative, and innovative. We are proud of the recent Ofsted findings about the management team in Middlesbrough: ‘Newly qualified social workers in their assessed and supported year in employment feel well supported. They have managed workloads that allow them to develop their experience and skills at a pace that is right for them. Workers told inspectors that they enjoy working in Middlesbrough and that they are supported well by visible, approachable, and available managers. Workers, including agency workers, have access to training and development opportunities that assist them in their work with children and families.’ Middlesbrough places a high level of importance on the development of our staff, and the Centre for Practice Development ensures that all staff have access to high-quality training, support, and resources. You will join our fast-paced, dynamic team of Social Workers, promoting professional curiosity, a whole family approach, innovation, and a focus on helping families and Social Workers to manage risk. If you want to be part of the transformation making a real difference to people’s lives, you will be passionate about working with children, operate with integrity, and have a strong focus on keeping children safe within their families. Based in the centre of Middlesbrough, you can benefit from free parking, flexible working including work from home with varying patterns, giving greater work-life balance to our practitioners. We do ask that 1 day in 5 is office-based and that you have a presence in the office during your duty week, which is 1 full week within 5 weeks. Middlesbrough is also dedicated to employees' Health & Wellbeing and has been awarded maintaining excellence in the Better Health at Work. You will be registered with Social Work England and prepared to work in various locations in Middlesbrough and other areas as required by the post. The above post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

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