This part-time vacancy is within our First Response service (based centrally at County Hall). This is a desk position which involves responding to referrals in a timely way. The ideal candidate will be able to work dynamically in a fast paced environment. They will be joining a settled and supportive team at the very beginning of the child's journey and have the opportunity to respond to a range of social care issues.

You will be joining a strong service which has benefited from investment and a comprehensive review pf process. Social Workers work across our screening and assessment groups with small staff teams of up to six. We have recently been granted funding for an extra team enabling us to achieve timely assessments and manageable workloads. Our Social Workers are supported by a Senior Practitioner and a Team Manager in each team who work to ensure that incoming work is carefully considered and decision making robust and child focused. The Service Manager focuses on quality, standards and performance.
Who we are looking for...

You will be an energetic and enthusiastic social worker who demonstrates enthusiasm and passion for practice.

You will have experience of working in statutory children’s services and an in depth understanding of the interventions required to build safety and protect children from harm.

You will be able to evidence your skills and knowledge of creative, innovative and relationship-based social work.

We definitely want people with energy and people who have a ‘can- do’ attitude; we want people who will help us to build a real culture of reflection and learning. We want team players!

You will have a strong and credible professional reputation.

You have retained a strong interest in research and the evidence base for practice and are confident about how this can be used in practice

Ideally you will already be confident in the application of the Signs of Safety methodology but certainly in the value of relationship-based social work.

About Us...
At Leicestershire County Council we are committed to doing our very best for vulnerable children and families; working to make a positive impact on their lives so they can achieve their potential and flourish. 

If you are interested in joining a strong and ambitious team and see yourself as a high calibre social worker read on!

We want all our staff to be inspired to go the extra mile. We are doing our best to create the sort of culture where practice excellence can flourish. We want to learn from what works, as much, if not more, than from when things go badly – we are ambitious to create a true ‘learning' organisation.

Every year we run three annual conferences for staff to motivate and encourage them to be the best they can be.

Our ‘bottom line’ is that every month each team sets aside time for team learning.

We are introducing reflective supervision and growing group supervision skills

Twice a year our senior leaders take a week out spending time with social workers observing practice and talking to young people and parents and carers about their experience of services.

We have given all HCPC registered workers three extra CPD days.

Our training offer to social workers is refreshed each year (and is highly valued by our staff).

We have a team dedicated to supporting practice excellence who work alongside practitioners offering training and coaching and mentoring to build practitioner confidence

We have an explicit practice framework providing a strong foundation for our work with families – setting out the way we ‘do business in Leicestershire’ and making our values and principles absolutely clear.

We have embedded the Signs of Safety approach across Social Care and our early help teams and all our teams are trained in this methodology. The approach is now used sub-regionally and there is a strong support network in place in the area.

Our Practice Development Group was established to develop the idea of ‘distributed leadership’ helping staff to collaborate on aspects of practice development.

If Leicestershire sounds like an interesting place to work - read on..

Generally...
We take a whole service approach and have exciting opportunities to join as a social worker in various locations

In all service areas you are expected to work closely with colleagues across team and agency boundaries to ensure that families get the most appropriate level of support. At all stages of intervention, you are expected to remain focused on what difference you are making. Signs of Safety is the expected practice methodology.

Staff workloads are manageable, and these continue to improve. Managers and staff all have regular monthly supervision. You will be responsible for working directly with children, young people and their families to ensure a positive impact on their lives. 
 
For more about working in Leicestershire go to:
https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/field/pdf/2017/11/9/working-at-leicestershire-county-council.pdf
 
For further information about our services areas:
https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/education-and-children/social-care-and-supporting-families
 
For more information about our current vacancies please contact Chelbie Shepherd Tel. 0116 3055973, Email: Chelbie.Shepherd@leics.gov.uk
 
By the Way...
A Few More Benefits of working In Leicestershire….

Well regarded employee counselling services

Free car parking

Cycle to work scheme

Paid HCPC

Lease car scheme

Option to purchase of additional leave

Discounts at high-street stores and supermarket shopping

Special offers on leisure activities and gym memberships

This post is the subject of a DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity