About Us:
THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF KAKOLI'S PASSION AND DRIVE
Children's Services in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where inspirational people like Kakoli are dedicated to encouraging everyone they work with to be the very best they can be.
Ever since she was a child, Kakoli has believed that children are the ones who'll change the world for the better. Who'll create the future we all wish for. And she always knew her calling was to get on the front line and help those who might not be as fortunate as herself.
Driven and passionate about making a difference, she first joined Westminster as a Social Work Assistant, and her managers immediately saw she had huge potential, so they encouraged her to apply to study for a degree in social work. She passed with flying colours, and over the next fourteen years worked as a frontline Social Worker, a Senior Social Worker, a Deputy Service Manager and is now one of our Service Managers.
Kakoli's vision is as clear now as it was all those years ago – to encourage and support children, and help them grow in safe, vibrant communities. Her achievements are many, but she's most proud of the fact that these days Westminster doesn't 'do things for families' but 'does things with families'. And she believes this huge but subtle difference to the way we work has allowed thousands of children in Westminster to fulfil their potential and live their dreams.
The Role:
As a Support Worker with our Children's Services Parenting Team, you can make your own powerful term-time contribution to the lives of young people and families in Westminster. Joining a sector-leading Early Help Service that's been rated Outstanding, you'll be responsible for assisting a Parenting Practitioner with the organisation and coordination of parenting programmes, updating case notes on our database and occasionally writing reports. Making an important contribution to team meetings and the recording of parental engagement, you'll have a strong focus on improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our communities by enabling their families to look after them successfully as they grow into adulthood.
Our aim is to reduce the number of children taken into care, increase school attendance, develop strength and resilience in parents, and cut the number of young people involved in crime. We achieve this by promoting and contributing to increased parent employability, helping to tackle public health priorities for young people, and providing the vital support services and relationship work which will equip families to care safely for their children. We maintain small caseloads, an approach that allows practitioners to build and develop positive, effective relationships with families that enable them to build on their strengths.
To support this ambition we keep children and families at the heart of everything we do, promote a culture of respect, discussion, openness and challenge, and maintain a system in which we remain curious and open to different possibilities. To help us achieve this vision we'll expect you to develop your career as you participate in relevant training, ensure our equal opportunities policy is fully implemented in your professional practice, keep up-to-speed with government legislation and departmental policies, and treat people with respect and dignity in a non-discriminatory manner.
Please refer to theJob Descriptionfor more information.
About You:
To be a success in this important role you should have experience of working in a support services role with a local authority or related organisation, be capable of providing a confidential, professional service, and be ready to work flexibly to meet the challenges and demands of the role. We'll expect you to possess experience of interacting in a community safety environment or with young people involved in serious youth violence, while the ability to work in partnership with a range of public sector, private sector, voluntary and community organisations would be a plus.
When it comes to formal education you should have A Level or NVQ 3 qualifications, and either a degree or relevant work experience in a social care related support services role. Highly organised and able to work under your own initiative, you'll possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, and well developed working knowledge of Corporate and Children's IT Systems and Microsoft's suite of software.
With the ability to work across cultural and linguistic barriers, you should have the skills to identify risks to children stemming from parenting capacity impaired by substance misuse, domestic violence, conflict or mental health issues. We'll also look for the confidence to report and provide evidence in formal settings such as Family Proceedings courts and Child Protection case conferences.
Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.
What We Offer:
Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council's strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city's future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.
At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit
As a forward thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.
The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.
We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.