Child and Family Worker Horsham, England
Job description
With you, with the child…Every step of the way
We’re working together as one professional team, in an environment based on high challenge and high support, creating more positive outcomes for the children and families in our care. As a leadership team we will stand at your side, supporting you every step of the way.
The child and family worker role within the Childrens Emergency Duty team is interesting, challenging, and rewarding.
For further information about us and about working in Children’s Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit Careers in children's social work in West Sussex.
About The Job
Salary: £12,704 to £13,926 based on 18.5 hours per week - In addition to the excellent salary package the post offers a 20% uplift in remuneration for unsocial hours and weekend working.
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: 18.5 hours per week based on rolling rota.
Location: Based at County Hall, Horsham – hybrid working available.
We are seeking a Child and Family Worker who will work as part of a team to achieve positive outcomes for the children and young people in West Sussex.
West Sussex County Council has a dedicated Emergency Duty Team (EDT) serving children and families across the county during out of office hours. Working evenings, weekends and bank holidays you will be part of a small team that is responsible for receiving all emergency and urgent calls and referrals from partner agencies, families, children and young people. You will be part of a fast paced, busy and supportive team.
You will ideally be an experienced Child and Family Worker with excellent risk assessment and safety planning skills as well as the ability to communicate effectively to a high level and under pressure. You will have an excellent working knowledge of relevant legislation and safeguarding. Our work can be fast moving, challenging and demanding. A willingness to be flexible is essential. You will also be required to visit children and families across the county as the emergency need arises either alone or working alongside other professionals including the Police, UKBA and health.
You will be supported, via training, coaching and supervision, to develop your practice and skills in working with the most vulnerable children to achieve positive outcomes and to increase their safety and wellbeing. You will always work alongside a social worker and a duty manager.
Applications from individuals with relevant experience who would like to join our team and develop their skills and support the team in achieving high quality outcomes for children. Knowledge of recent research in child development, safeguarding and practical experience of working with children and their families is desirable. An ability to work creatively and flexibly with a variety of other agencies and professionals is essential. It will be important to have effective communication skills to engage people directly and over the phone and to have good IT skills to manage and record accurate case recordings.
The EDT service operates seven days a week 365 days a year, all team members follow a rota consisting of blocks of days working followed by blocks of rest days. So, the part time hours will be worked across a rolling eight-week rota. EDT is a small and supportive team and seeks a flexible, confident and autonomous team player.
You will need to share our dedication and commitment to improving children and young people’s lives and will make appropriate decisions with a clear analytical rationale in a timely manner.
Experience and Skills
Key Skills:
- Good communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to organise
and present information clearly, concisely and accurately in ways that
promote understanding, both verbally and in writing, including the ability
to persuade and successfully convince others of the need to take a specific
course of action and gain the trust of service users. - Ability to analyse and interpret information in order to manage casework
with children / young people and their families, assessing needs, setting
objectives and reviewing progress. - Ability to engage and intervene in partnership with children/young people,
their families and other external agencies in order to effect positive and
lasting change. Ability to work in an empowering way, focusing on
collective strengths and resources, e.g. using a solution focused approach,
and responding flexibly to diverse groups and service users whilst
maintaining confidentiality. - Ability to prioritise and manage own workload, co-ordinating a range of
tasks in a clear and logical way to meet agreed deadlines, whilst working
towards clear goals. Able to reflect on own practice and learn from
experience, taking responsibility for proactive professional development. - Ability to maintain clear, accurate records of all work undertaken and
produce case reports and correspondence for a variety of audiences
including meetings, conferences, court panels and other agencies. - Sound and accurate IT skills, including report writing, maintaining
accurate records, ensuring confidentiality, and protecting information.
Qualifications, knowledge and experience:
Essential
- GCSE English and Maths, or equivalent qualification or experience operating
at this level of literacy and numeracy. - QCF Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce (or
equivalent), or demonstrable equivalent comparable experience. - Knowledge and understanding of the development of children and young people, and age-appropriate behaviour.
- An understanding of a range of interventions that can be used with children, young people and families to achieve change.
- Sound and accurate IT knowledge e.g. Microsoft Office, in order to produce written reports.
- Experience of providing advice and guidance to others.
- Significant experience of using a range of direct work interventions in working with children, young people and their families.
- Experience of using assessment planning and reviewing processes.
- Experience of forming effective working relationships within a multi-
agency setting. - Requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.
- You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available.
Desirable
- An understanding of systems, procedures and policies relevant to Children’s Social Care e.g. child protection and safeguarding procedures, practice and
- Experience of working with children/young people and their families in crisis or complex situations.
- Experience of working in a Social Care Environment.
Rewards and Benefits
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.
In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:
- A competitive salary
- A generous pension scheme
- Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
- Flexible working
- A range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers with the opportunity to save over £1,000 (Including: Argos, Samsung, Asos, B&Q and many more)
- Free access to employee assistance programmes
- Discounted membership at selected local sports and fitness centres
- A range of commuting and business travel discounts and initiatives
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
For an informal conversation or further information about this exciting opportunity please contact by email the following Team Managers with a phone number you are happy to be contacted on and one of them will get back to you - Vikki Guest [email protected], David Stuart [email protected] and Helen Crisp [email protected].
For issues or queries regarding your application please contact [email protected].
To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and cover letter. In your cover letter outline your motivation for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role, ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the above details and job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
Please ensure that all employment and precise dates are included in your CV. (Any gaps must be explained if you are selected for interview)
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!
EC
Job Reference: CAFHE04675
