Senior Social Worker, Family Support & Safeguarding, Children’s Services

North Somerset Council; Weston-super-Mare; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Senior Social Worker to join our Family Support and Safeguarding Team. The Family Support and Safeguarding Team are responsible for supporting children and families to thrive, overcoming challenges, and ensuring children’s safety, with a focus on strengthening family relationships and improving outcomes through a creative, strengths-based approach.

This is a permanent position with the flexibility of full-time or part-time hours.

In this role, you will provide expert guidance, support, and continuous development to your colleagues. While you’ll manage a smaller caseload to focus on mentoring, your impact will be far-reaching as you shape best practices and support the most vulnerable families.

As a Senior Social Worker, you’ll play a key role in direct service delivery, offering technical support and professional consultation. You’ll also take on leadership responsibilities, providing direction and acting as a role model within the team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Provide expert advice and guidance to team members.
2. Step in for the team manager when needed.
3. Lead on specific cases, supporting families with complex needs.
4. Supervise and support the professional development of other team members.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Flexible Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

1. 2-3 days in the office
2. Works both from home and the office, depending on the task at hand.
3. Training is provided to help balance work-life and manage time effectively, with an emphasis on communication for team touchpoints and planning in-office days for collaboration.

About You

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about social work, and who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

1. A qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England, driven by a passion for improving outcomes for children and their families through a strengths-based approach.
2. Well-versed in relevant childcare legislation, including ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ and fostering regulations.
3. Skilled at building effective, trust-based relationships with children, young people, and their families.
4. Committed to developing purposeful, outcome-focused relationships with families, based on mutual respect and partnership.

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

1. Competitive salary and benefits
2. Flexible working arrangements
3. Local Government Pension
4. Opportunities for professional development
5. Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
6. Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
7. Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
8. Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet.

How to Apply

If you share our vision and values and are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Shelley Caldwell, Head of Family Support & Safeguarding, on 07824 085762.

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.