Senior Social Worker - Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families?

Do you have the drive to support and empower young people to achieve their full potential?

If so, Birmingham Children’s Trust wants you!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are dedicated in providing outstanding care and support to children and families across Birmingham. Our mission is to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe, nurturing environment. We are a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation, committed to innovation and excellence in social work practice.

Do you have a passion for supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people, their needs, experiences, and their future? Are you enthusiastic and have the child’s voice at the heart of everything you do? We are looking for an experienced social worker within our Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children service

Our service is made up of Social Workers and Personal Advisors and leads on all aspects of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people’s experiences from the point that they come to Birmingham. Recognising the trauma, challenges, and loss our children and young people have been through, whilst being able to undertake holistic assessments of their needs (including age assessments where necessary) and support them through the immigration system, whilst also being ambitious for their future.

As a Children’s Senior Social Worker, you will play a crucial role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. You will work closely with families, carers, and other professionals to assess needs, develop care plans, and provide ongoing support.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham and have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

About you:

• You must be a qualified Social Worker and registered with SWE.
• Must be 3 year PQE (Post-Qualified Experience)
• Experience of working within social worker
• Ability in providing an outstanding service to all of our carers and children who are placed within our service.
• Experience of completing high quality, analytical court reports within strict court timescales is desirable, as the work is interesting, often complex and challenging but is crucial to achieving placement stability and permanence for our children.
• Ability to work on your own initiative and be able to demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively with colleagues.
• Solid understanding of relevant care planning and fostering legislation and be able to confidently work within fostering regulations, national minimum standards and safeguarding procedures.
• You will have assessment and report writing skills that are analytical, evidence based and demonstrate professional curiosity and respectful challenge.

Our offer to you:
At the Trust, we value our people and are committed to supporting your professional development, wellbeing, and work-life balance. When you join us, you’ll benefit from:

• In addition to the salary offered, there is an welcome payment of £1,000 paid in full in your first months salary
• A Retention payment of up to £5,000 per annum paid monthly subject to tax and NI deductions - T&C's will apply.
• Payment of your Social Work England registration fee.
• Payment of your DBS application fee, plus reimbursement of your DBS Update Service subscription.
• A generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, plus bank holidays, increasing to 33 days after 5 years’ service and 35 days after 10 years’ service.
• An early finish every Friday, helping you make the most of your weekend.
• Access to our Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme, offering the opportunity to drive a brand-new car through an affordable fixed monthly payment, with no deposit or credit checks and a range of all-inclusive driving packages.
• Free on-site parking at our One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley) offices, including free electric vehicle charging points.
• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including Occupational Health services, reward and recognition schemes, employee discounts (including the Blue Light Card), health and fitness offers, wellbeing support, and much more.
• Flexible and hybrid working, with a range of working patterns that support both the needs of the Trust and a healthy work-life balance.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, providing a generous career average pension.
• Discounted gym memberships with PureGym and Nuffield Health to support your health and wellbeing.
  

Benefits

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.