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At Northumberland County Council we are proud of our employees, who are passionate and committed to improving outcomes for our children and young people, ensuring that they feel safe, healthy, happy and ready to learn and achieve.

We place children and young people at the heart of all we do and aim to provide a quality service to ensure that children in care get the best possible outcomes. Children thrive in stable and loving families. Sometimes birth parents are unable to care for their children themselves. Getting the best possible care for these children is one of our most important corporate parent responsibilities.

For further information about working for Northumberland County Council, please click here: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/working

The Role

The Family Placement Service is seeking to recruit an advanced social work practitioner in the Kinship Team. You will be part of a creative, enthusiastic and dynamic family placement service. The team is responsible for the screening and assessment of family and friend carers to assess, as appropriate, that children can remain in the care of their network. You will complete Special Guardianship Reports as directed by the court and Kinship Fostering Assessments. You will join the team at an exciting time as the team has extended the training, support and core offer for special guardians that enhances the lives of children and their families and promotes stability.

As a service, we will provide you with excellent support and supervision together with genuine opportunities for personal development.

You will have extensive post qualifying experience of statutory social work with children and families. You will have proven ability to transfer knowledge and skills to colleagues through coaching, mentoring and co-working by establishing a professional network that promotes learning and practice development for yourself and others. This will include providing critical reflection and challenge in supporting the development of social workers.

We are offering:

A competitive salary starting at £45,091 up to £49,282 (dependent on grade and experience) with a wide range of additional benefits
Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (or other pension scheme)
A wide range of staff benefits including a competitive annual leave provision
Regular supervision
A supportive environment
Career progression opportunities
A generous remuneration package
Induction, support and mentoring from day one in post
Flexible working arrangements

Essential requirements:

You will have excellent communication skills and be able to convey complex messages in a straightforward way, both verbally and in writing.
You will not be afraid to think creatively to solve problems.
You will be able to make sound decisions.
You will be empathetic and sensitive to the needs of children, young people and families.
You will always want to hear the young person's voice and ensure that this is taken into account.
You will be passionate about maximising a child’s life chances to improve their overall outcomes
You will understand the importance of performance information and your contribution to maintaining high standards.
You will have experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment
You will be able to contribute to the development of the service.
You will have a sound knowledge base of the Knowledge and Skills Statement for Child and Family Social Work and the application of the Professional Capabilities Framework which will be embedded within all elements of your practice.

You must hold a relevant Social Work qualification such as the Social Work Degree, DipSW, CQSW or CSS and be registered with Social Work England. You should also have a minimum of three years post qualifying experience.

Due to the travel requirements of the role, you must hold a valid UK licence with access to a vehicle for work purposes.

For further information, please contact Eleanor Tamhne, Kinship Team Manager on 01670 626262 or eleanor.tamhne@northumberland.gov.uk for an informal discussion.

If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to attend an interview please contact Catherine Dixon on 01670 620258 or email hrrecruitment@northumberland.gov.uk.

Alternative application format:
British Sign Language: northumberlandcc-cs.signvideo.net
For those with speech difficulties or hearing loss: Text relay service dial 018001 01670 623930

Salary range

£45,091 - £49,282 per year