Job Overview
We are currently also offering a retention payment to experienced Social Workers. Children’s & Joint Commissioning Services have two Social Worker vacancies within the Safeguarding, Assessment & Support Team (SAS). The team provides a comprehensive social work service from the point of single assessment through to work on a long-term basis. The team support children in need, including those subject to a child protection plan and children in our care.
Hartlepool Borough Council is committed to providing a high‑quality service to the people of Hartlepool. Devoting resources, energy, and imagination, we promote the independence and wellbeing of children and young people through effective partnership working. We are looking for a like‑minded individual to join one of our SAS teams.
We are committed to providing high quality services to children, young people and their families and will offer you an excellent working environment valuing supervision, training and opportunities for your professional development.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide a comprehensive social work service from single assessment through to long‑term support.
* Support children in need, including those subject to a child protection plan and children in our care.
Benefits & Working Conditions
We will offer you protected time away from casework responsibilities and well‑being days which are solely designed to support your health and wellbeing.
We will offer you a manageable caseload, a high level of support, a visible management team, an excellent staff wellbeing at work offer and be part of a very positive culture of support and development.
We offer specialized support for newly qualified Social Workers, a dedicated team of very experienced practitioners work closely with the newly qualified Social Workers and Team Managers to ensure newly qualified Social Workers have the very best experience and finish their first year in practice highly skilled and full of confidence. In addition, we offer a protected caseload which allows newly qualified Social Workers to continue their development journey at a level and pace appropriate to their experience and requirements.
Hartlepool Children’s Services has a very stable workforce and rarely employs agency Social Workers. Although we have used a small number of agency Social Workers when required to assist with capacity and to ensure caseloads are reasonable, we believe that the inequality in the pay between permanent staff and agency staff can cause resentment and destabilise the workforce; our priority is investment in you and our current workforce.
Hartlepool Children’s Services has a strong and effective culture, we are a collaborative team and pride ourselves on the highly supportive and relational way of working both within the organisation and with our children and families. This culture has ensured that we have one of the highest rates of staff retention in the region and feedback from our recent workforce survey confirmed that staff are happy working in Hartlepool and the support they are offered by all levels of management is excellent.
Our most recent Ofsted ILAC inspection in March 2024, judged us as being ‘outstanding’ regarding the effectiveness of our Safeguarding Teams, for services to Children In Our Care and Leadership.
In Hartlepool we take pride in the fact that we nurture talent and have consistently promoted Social Workers from within the service to the role of Assistant Team Manager and Team Manager. This is testament to the commitment, dedication and faith we will have in you and already have in our staff team.
We have a flexible working model through the Council’s hybrid working policy allowing you to work in the office and at home without being prescriptive.
Qualifications
You should possess or graduate this year with a social work qualification at a degree or diploma level (or equivalent). Hartlepool Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment measures, including an enhanced DBS barring list check and also need to be registered with Social Work England.
Contact
For further information, please contact Lisa Cushlow, Head of Service on 01429 523729.
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