Job description

Salary: £41,024 per annum (includes £8,000 annual market supplement)

Full time, 37 hours per week

Permanent Post

Closing date: 9 June 2024

Interview date: To be confirmed.

About Us

Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service.

We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, police, public health, and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, family (early) help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Justice Service and traded services with schools.

Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy, and successful lives.

About the role

We are currently recruiting qualified social workers interested in our Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme. This role provides an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to work in partnership with children and their families; to support them to live in the care of their parents when safe to do so or support them to grow-up in a permanent home away from their families, when that is the best for them.

As a Newly Qualified Social Worker, you will hold a reduced caseload; the number of families you are working with will increase gradually with its complexity. You will be working in a trauma-informed, relationship- and strength-based way with a range of children and families supported through Children in Need, Child Protection and looked after Care Plans.

Responsibilities:

Undertake assessments and co-produce plans that set out outcome focused goals that positively intervene in children’s lives.
To work in partnership with children and their families to address concerns that negatively impact on children’s lives and to find sustainable solutions that support children to remain at home, where safe to do so.
To support children when they are not able to remain in their parents’ care and find alternative safe homes for them.
Work within BFfC’s practice framework; that being trauma-informed, systemic, and attachment-aware.
Work within BFfC’s policies, procedures and good practice guidelines to most effectively meet the needs of the children and families allocated to you.
To develop and maintain positive working relationships with children, young people, families, and other professionals.
To keep up to date with contemporary issues in children’s social work, including legislation and evidence-based practice, and attend relevant training and development opportunities.
To work within a multi-professional network of partners to gather information relevant to a child’s welfare to inform assessments, care planning activities and jointly plan and deliver interventions.
Maintain and update a child’s electronic database to provide a clear understanding to a child as to their journey through statutory services. This will also refer to written reports and if required, give evidence in court about care proceedings.

Essential Qualification/Experience:

Social Work Degree
Registered with Social Work England

Please note that to apply for these posts, you must meet the following criteria:

Anticipate the successful completion of your social work degree and subsequent Social Work England registration by 2 September 2024.
Have completed your social work degree within the last two years.
Not have commenced or completed your ASYE elsewhere.

Our Offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to be creative and focus on innovative and ambitious interventions that lead to sustainable change for families. We are kind, friendly, collaborative and value driven.

There are numerous opportunities for training and development at BFfC. We have secured excellent training for all our staff and established effective partnerships with several Universities. We value our staff and support them in their progression with us.

We further offer ASYEs:

A diverse and reduced caseload and good quality reflective supervision by an external Practice Educator and work-based supervisor.
Monthly group supervision and six weekly Action Learning Sets.
We are working with Buckinghamshire New University, which delivers the ASYE module, to enhance and consolidate your learning.
You’ll work in a friendly and collaborative environment where we are committed to delivering positive outcomes.
We work within BFfC’s Practice Princiles that focus on relationship- and strength-based principles that is child-centred and focussing on the whole family that supports a child.

We also offer a competitive salary alongside a range of benefits, including:

Local Government Pension Scheme
Relocation Scheme
26 days holiday plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)
Discounted Child Care (on-site nursery)
Cycle to work scheme
Season ticket loans
A range of local discounts
Free parking

If you have any queries or for a confidential discussion, email our Head of Service, Dudley Foster, Dudley.Foster@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

If successfully shortlisted, you will be invited to partake in an interview by a Panel.

If you share our values and are ready to be part of our exciting journey, we are looking forward to seeing your application!

Reading Borough Council jobs

ASYE Social Worker