Job Information
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us
Social Worker - Looked After Children Team
We are offering a £3000 welcome bonus plus a £3000 annual market supplement for this role!
If you have a passion for promoting the best outcomes for children for whom we are corporate parents for and have a range of creative skills in engaging children of various ages then consider applying for a role whereby your efforts could have the difference to a young person!
All social workers within the Permanency service are offered the opportunity to undertake meaningful direct work such as life story work and the work we undertake can make life long differences to their lives. We are looking for enthusiastic, committed social workers who have the passion and the drive to make a positive difference to children’s lives and can help motivate the networks around our young people to achieve excellent standards of care and support to our young people.
AfC offers a hybrid way of working with the main office based in Kingston where you will support children and young people aged 0 to 18.
About the role
The Social Worker will act as a corporate parent to our children and be the lead professional. It will be key for them to understand and champion the views and wishes of our children and young people so that they may be supported to reach their full potential.
This role will involve working alongside other professionals, to ensure that a child and/or young person receives appropriate care, education and health services, and any other support needed to ensure their needs are appropriately met.
The Social Worker will support children living with relatives, friends of foster families and prospective adopters or children living in children's homes and young people in semi-independent units. They will be responsible for ensuring their safety and supporting them towards independence by:
1. Undertaking regular statutory visits
2. Completing and updating assessments
3. Care Planning
4. Working as part of a professional network to meet the needs of the children and young people
For further information about this role please contact the Head of Service, Darya Kuzina by email on for an informal discussion.
About you
The successful candidate will have the following:
5. Educated to a degree level with the relevant social work qualification
6. Appropriate understanding of statutory legislation for example the Children Act
7. Planning skills for assessing and reviewing children and young people’s needs and
8. planning packages of care across a range of cases
9. Experience in managing an allocated case load
10. A passion for Achieving for Children's vision, mission and values to support children and young people to live safe, happy, healthy and successful lives
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
11. 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month
12. Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
13. Hybrid and mobile working (between home and work)
14. Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
15. Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
16. A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
17. A range of staff benefits and discounts
18. An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children. For our social work offer .
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
For more information about AfC: Drop in and meet Regina on the first Wednesday of every month at Civic Centre, Twickenham or Ash on the first Tuesday of every month at Maidenhead Town Hall.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.