Job Introduction
About Us
We are excited to invite applications for International Social Workers to begin their career with the Social Work Professional Development Centre.
We have created the Social Work Professional Development Centre because we know that nurturing and supporting our ISW’s to become great practitioners is crucial in developing a strong and stable workforce and delivering outstanding services to the children and families of Oxfordshire.
The role of a children's social worker can be challenging but is also a privilege and hugely rewarding. We know that the right support in your first few months of practice will equip you with the skills you need to flourish in your career.
We are seeking International Social Workers to join a variety of teams across Children’s Social Care.
If you join Oxfordshire County Council you will be joining a strengths-based service that is focused on supporting families to keep their children safe and to make lasting change. We do this by keeping relationship-based practice at the core of everything we do and using motivational interviewing to engage families.
About the Role
We are currently hiring for roles across Children's Social Care. This includes: Family Solutions Plus, Integrated Assessment Team, Children We Care For and Youth Justice and Exploitation.
About you
- A minimum of 2 years working as a Social Worker. Must have relevant experience working directly with children and families.
- Be qualified and Social Work England registeredWe cannot accept applications that are in process of SWE registration.
- Be value-based practitioners with a commitment to strengths-based practice.
- Have good communication skills, with the ability to build relationships, engage with children and families
- Have the ability to produce concise, effective and accurate written work
- Be resilient, with the ability to manage the emotional impact of the work, actively making use of appropriate support
- Be required to travel as part of the role as we cover locations throughout rural parts of the county and therefore should have access to your own transport and have a drivers license.
Rewards and benefits
- A competitive salary starting at £39,186 per annum starting salary. Upon completion of the ASYE year there is opportunity for progression up to £46,464 per annum through our Career Progression Scheme.
- A pension package of up to 20% employer contribution.
- Manageable caseloads; not only is it important that you love what you do, but it's also important to be able to manage your workload and devote the right amount of attention to each family.
- A role in an authority rated 'good' by Ofsted, as a Social Worker, you get the support you need.
- Flexible working. We do all we can to ensure that every one of our employees has a healthy work-life balance. Our agile working policy means you can work across council sites or from home to suit your needs and we support flexible working hours. You will be provided with a laptop, mobile phone and MS Teams to facilitate agile working.
- Generous annual leave allowance. We know that as a social worker, you do an invaluable job. We offer a generous holiday allowance starting at 29 days per year (plus bank holidays) to help demonstrate how much we value the work you do. We also offer an annual leave purchase scheme.
- A caring and supportive culture. We are passionate about keeping people safe, well and independent, whilst making a positive contribution. We host regular listening events and have a well at work scheme, which focuses on health and wellbeing. There's also a social presence, with yoga classes, sports teams and more.
- Other benefits include: Cycle to work scheme, staff discount scheme for a range of retailers, holidays, insurance, restaurants, health & leisure activities and rail travel.
Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.
Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.
Our commitment to:
Safeguarding
Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.
Our commitment to:
Flexible Working
We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.
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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk
