Social Worker (Looked After Children)
About The Role
The Council, its staff and partners, were delighted in March 2023, when Ofsted judged the overall effectiveness of children’s social care services to be ‘Outstanding’ for the second time running since 2018. We were especially pleased that our investment in frontline practitioners and managers has continued to be recognised. We have been working hard to create an environment where social workers can do the work they came into the profession to do - to support and help families to stay together where this is in children’s best interests and it is safe enough for this to happen.
Bexley has a strong learning and development program and OFSTED commented on “A well-trained workforce is improving the lives of children and families” 2023.
Ofsted judged that we provide strong management oversight of practice, that we have a well – embedded practice framework to enable meaningful family focused help, that we offer clear progress in career pathways, a talent management scheme and a environment to enable social work to flourish. We believe deeply in relationship based practice and ‘Signs of Safety’ is the vehicle enabling us to do this respectfully and in collaboration with the people we are trying to help.
Our established family engagement group, FL.A.RE (Family Learning, Advocacy & Restorative Engagement), and children in care forums Positive Journeys, Positive Journeys Seniors and Bexley’s Young Director support us with practice development and delivery. Front line practitioners have the opportunity to learn from our children, young people and families, and be part of this work.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to grow, develop and progress whatever stage of their careers they are at. We offer a comprehensive range of training and professional development opportunities including access to research, group and e-learning, coaching and group supervision. Practitioners are invited to contribute to our learning and development offer in Bexley and to enhance Continuing Professional Development, there is opportunity to co-design and deliver training if this is of interest. We invest in our staff so they can invest in the children, young people and families we
support.
Here in Bexley, we recognise that our greatest asset is our workforce. Staff well-being is important to us and you will have access to our weekly staff well-being drop in sessions, our Employee Assistance Programme and our corporate offer of emotional and physical well-being sessions.
If this sounds exciting and reassuring, get in touch with us. Our workforce is stable with a high level of permanent staff but we are always looking for practitioners wanting to practice confidently as part of our team making a difference for families and children.
Do you think you have what it takes to join our team of excellent, creative and dedicated social work professionals?
Candidate Profile
Candidates must hold a relevant social work qualification and be registered with the professional regulator for social work (Social Work England). For the full list of essential and desirable criteria for this role, please refer to the Person Specification within the attached Job Description.Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
About Us
Bexley is a vibrant and diverse outer London Borough nestled in the Thames Gateway between London and Kent which means it combines the perfect blend of city vibe and the tranquillity of Kent. It's got award-winning parks, open spaces, and heritage sites. The borough has excellent transport connections, including the Elizabeth Line and proximity to the M25. Bexley offers fantastic amenities such as libraries, leisure centres, and shopping areas. Our borough is also home to numerous primary and secondary schools, as well as further education institutions.
We will offer you in return a package that includes a competitive salary, an excellent pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. For more information on the benefits package on offer please refer to the Candidate Information document attached.
As a disability confident employer Bexley welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including hidden disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on recruitment@bexley.gov.uk
This role may be available as a development opportunity through secondment for the Council’s existing employees. The Council’s Secondment Scheme can be found here. If this option is of interest, please contact the recruiting manager.
