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Job Introduction

We’re seeking a Newly Qualified Social Worker to join our Children in Care Team.

This is an exciting time to join a growing city with expanding social work teams. You’ll receive clinical supervision, coaching, training and support to implement care plans. You’ll have opportunities to progress and build a rewarding career.

You’ll work alongside colleagues from health and education to support children in our care, building relationships while learning about how we meet our statutory requirements at our busy city council.

After your first two years, as your skills and experience develop, you will support children where a plan of adoption is being developed, working closely with our partner Adoption Connects.

You will need a driving license to travel in and around Milton Keynes.

We offer a £4000 market supplement (pro rata), excellent training and career progression opportunities, flexible working including homeworking for up to 2 days a week (full time equivalent) and a suite of IT equipment to enable you to do your job effectively. Support with career progression and access to clinical supervision is provided to all employees.

We encourage and warmly welcome applications from social workers in all disciplines such as Adult Social Care and Mental Health Services.

This role is eligible for you to be referred by an MKCC employee, as part of the Children’s Services Social Worker Referral Scheme. The successful candidate, and the referrer, will, subject to all conditions of the scheme being met, receive £1000. The reward is split into two £500 payments, the first received on appointment, and the second after the first-year anniversary of being in post. You must indicate in your application, the name of the person referring you, for this to apply. It cannot be applied retrospectively.

Role Responsibilities

• As a Newly Qualified Social Worker (NQSW) you will have access to a wide range of resources to enable you to support children and young people who are unable to live at home with their birth parents. You will be supported to engage children and young people in life story work, where they have a greater understanding as to why they are in care and not cared for by their parents.
• You will have a reduced caseload and regular supervision to support you within your year of employment. Your caseload will be a variety of care plans, such as long-term Fostering, children placed under section 20 and children placed at home with their parents. You will work efficiently to ensure children achieve permanency and have secure and stable homes.
• As a NQSW you will be given ample opportunity to build relationships with fellow NQSWs where together you will be able to learn and develop together. After successfully completing the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) you will progress to Level 2, a pay increment will reflect your acquired knowledge and skills.

Ideal Candidate

• An enthusiastic qualified Social Worker.
• Committed to supporting children and young people and have the resilience to go that extra mile.
• Willing to work as part of a team in sharing knowledge and supporting team development.
• You will need a driving license, business insurance and may need to travel in and outside of Milton Keynes.

About The Company

Milton Keynes is a diverse, welcoming, and expanding place, built on smart ideas with even bigger plans for the future. We have world class attractions, beautiful open spaces, and a great standard of living.

Milton Keynes City Council is one of the largest employers in the region, making a difference every day for local people. We’re responsible for all local government services in MK including education, housing, highways, and social services - around 240 services in all.

Our values are to be dedicated, respectful, and collaborative. If this sounds like you, join us for a stimulating and fulfilling career measured on results, and a rewarding work-life balance.

Package Description

We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes City Council, including:-

• Local Government Pension Scheme, considered to be one of the best employer contribution rates of 18.8%.
• 28 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 32 days after 5 years.
• Holiday Purchase Scheme.
• Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Health Cashplan.
• MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
• Blue Light Card - Employees working within Social Care can qualify for a range of discounts from national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more!
• SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
• Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles).
• Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs).
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements.
• Childcare Subsidy.