Overview
The Thriving Families Service is a new initiative within the Trust, which has the aim of supporting expectant parents who have previous children separated from their care to make the necessary changes required. This with a view to enabling them to safely retain care of their baby once born. Two qualified, experienced safeguarding Social Workers are required to ensure timely assessments, support and intervention is provided. This service will provide specialist, trauma‑informed support, seeking to break the cycle of harm associated with separation of children from their parents, working with families experiencing a high level of complexity and vulnerability. The service will work closely with named professionals in midwifery, perinatal mental health and health visiting, as well as having resources to commission any specialist assessments required. The service will have several experienced specialist family help practitioners to work alongside the social work team, offering an intensive, bespoke package of support, delivering therapeutic intervention, as well as targeted 1‑1 support and group work which will offer both practical and emotional support for parents. Where the initiation of care proceedings cannot be avoided, the service will continue to provide support for the parent/s for 12 months post birth to try to enable safe reunification to parents' care. Should this not be possible, the aim will remain to try to enable parents to make changes to prevent future pregnancies resulting in subsequent removals.
Responsibilities
* Undertake analytical and comprehensive pre‑birth assessments which provide clear recommendations and decisions in relation to threshold and what support the family require
* Work collaboratively with parents, wider family networks and professionals to ensure the (CIN/CP/PLO) plan of support and intervention meets the needs of the family and gives them the best chance to succeed in retaining care of their unborn baby once born
* Attend strategy meetings, undertake Section 47 enquiries and progress to Initial Child Protection Conference, when required
* Work closely in partnership with professionals directly aligned with the service and also all relevant external agencies
* Prepare the necessary documentation and present to Legal Gateway Panel, when required
* Where pre‑proceedings (PLO) are instigated, you will be responsible for ensuring the process is undertaken in a timely manner, and that there is compliance with the timescales set at the outset, with a clear assessment and plan in place ahead of birth
* Where court proceedings cannot be avoided, preparation of the Initial Social Work Evidence Statement (SWET) and initial care plan will be required
* Attend court and give evidence, if required
* Ensure statutory timescales are met in respect of all elements of support and intervention
* Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date records of actions taken and decisions ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, statutory guidance etc.
Qualifications
* Social Work qualified and registered with Social Work England
* An experienced social worker
* Have at least 3 years post qualifying experience in assessment, child protection and court work
* Have extensive experience in undertaking risk and parenting assessments and making thresholds recommendations and decisions
* Able to evidence a proven track record of offering a high‑quality service for expectant parents who are at risk of having their baby removed once born
* Able to evidence an excellent standard of both written and verbal communication skills
* Sandwell Children's Trust - rated as a Good Provider.
Company Overview
At Sandwell Children's Trust, we firmly believe that the voice of the child should be at the centre of everything we do. We are on an ambitious journey to ensure that children and families in Sandwell are safe and empowered to thrive.
Our 'Sandwell Deal', brings together our new improved offering that make Sandwell Children's Trust a great place to work; it also sets out our expectations of you as a member of staff. By joining our team, you will be making a real difference in the lives of children and families. We are dedicated to driving meaningful change and ensuring the best outcomes for those we serve. With the work that we have done so far and with the ambitions we have for the future, it's a really exciting time to join Sandwell Children's Trust and to become part of our Family.
At Sandwell Children's Trust we strive for excellence to improve the lives of children. To achieve this, we know how important it is to retain and attract high performing, forward thinking and innovative people and provide them with all the support they need. With a culture of collaboration, partnership working and the child at the heart of everything we do, it really is an exciting time to join Sandwell Children's Trust.
Working for us there are lots of great reasons to work with us in Sandwell Children's Trust. From a generous rewards package to a culture of learning and development. Our 12 reasons to work for Sandwell Children's Trust sets us apart as the place to grow your career and feel part of a great team. Please visit the Sandwell Deal and our 12 reasons via this hyperlink: https://sandwelldeal.co.uk. Sandwell sits in the heart of the West Midlands and has a diverse population of 341,729 people. While Sandwell is the 12th most deprived local authority in England, it is a community where our families have high aspirations and where we pride ourselves on equality of opportunity and our adaptability and resilience.
Benefits & Rewards
* A market supplement of £2,500 per annum.
* Retention bonus of £2,000 in year 1, £3,000 in year 2 and £5,000 in year 3.
* Generous annual leave of up to 31 days, plus 5 additional days for long service recognition.
* Your birthday off paid in addition to annual leave entitlement and 8 Bank Holidays, plus a concessionary day at Christmas.
* You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme with employer contributions of 21.6%.
* We recognise individual loyalty with service awards from 2, 5, 10 and every 5 years onwards.
* Flexible working patterns that suit you and all of our roles have well‑defined career progression.
* We provide competitive expenses for both mileage (55p per mile) and subsistence, plus access to a comprehensive employee benefits scheme.
* £39,780 - £50,726 per annum and a relocation allowance of up to £6,500 plus, excellent benefits. Additionally, we pay a retention bonus of up to £10,000 over 3 years.
* Access to our Learning & Development portal offering virtual training programmes, learning & development info bursts, learning events and much more.
* The latest technology enabling more effective and streamlined working.
* Detailed and effective appraisals to strengthen your practice.
* Access to a range of family friendly policies.
* Up to £6,500 re‑location package.
* The opportunity to purchase up to 10 days additional holiday through our salary sacrifice scheme.
* Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, this is a nationwide career average scheme with employer contributions of 21.6%.
* Reimbursement of Social Work England registration.
* 24/7 access to free and confidential employee counselling service.
* Access to a range of discounts on products and services.
* Salary sacrifice schemes for cars, bikes and technology.
* Refer a friend scheme.
* Wellbeing initiatives and forums.
* Discounted gym membership.
* Eye care vouchers.
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