West Berkshire Council is hiring a dedicated Social Worker for their Children in Care Team to support and improve the lives of vulnerable children. This role offers a chance to make a real difference in a supportive environment. Visa sponsorship is available for eligible candidates. Apply now to advance your career in social work!
About the County
West Berkshire Council provides important local services for around 155,000 people across the district. We provide education, housing and social services; we’re responsible for roads in the area and we provide rubbish, recycling and other waste services.
As well as these critical services we also make sure there are other local amenities and attractions such as Libraries, leisure centres, a museum and our Grade II listed Shaw House.
We employ around 1,500 staff, not including those based in schools, and currently have three main offices in Newbury as well as smaller satellite offices across the district. Our vision is to make West Berkshire an even greater place to live, work and learn.
West Berkshire welcomes business, enterprise and industry into a productive, growing and dynamic local economy.
We are dedicated to supporting new and existing businesses as well as businesses looking to relocate to West Berkshire. For more information visit https://businesswestberks.co.uk/
West Berkshire is an area which offers beautiful countryside, thriving market towns and good transport links to London and southern England. Covering 272 square miles, around 60% of our area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and our countryside is as varied as it is plentiful. Around 40% of residents live in rural areas although there are plenty of opportunities for urban living as well. Newbury is the largest town in West Berkshire, although Hungerford, Pangbourne, Thatcham, Theale and Tilehurst are also significant communities along with suburbs bordering Reading in the east.
The district is widely recognised as an area with a high concentration of high-tech firms and is home to companies such as Norsk Data, Quantel, Vodafone and the Atomic Weapons Establishment. West Berkshire has a thriving economy with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, and is at the hub of what is often called ‘Silicon Valley’.
Position: Social Worker
Salary: Up to £48,708 per annum (including a market supplement of £6k)
Job Type: Full Time
Location: Newbury, UK
About the Role
Are you a dedicated and passionate Social Worker looking for a new opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and families? West Berkshire Council is seeking a motivated individual to join our Children in Care team as a Social Worker.
Main Duties
As a Social Worker, You Will Be Responsible For
- Undertaking assessments and providing support to children and families in need
- Developing and implementing care plans to ensure the well-being of children
- Collaborating with partner agencies to coordinate and deliver appropriate services
- Conducting safeguarding investigations and taking necessary actions to protect children
- Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records in accordance with relevant legislation and guidelines
Qualifications
To excel in this role, you should possess the following skills and attributes:
- A recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England
- Experience in working within a statutory social work setting, preferably within children and family services
- Sound knowledge of relevant legislation, policies, and procedures
- Strong assessment and analytical skills, with the ability to make informed decisions – Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling effective engagement with children, families, and professionals
- The ability to work autonomously and manage a demanding workload
Benefits
A Competitive Salary Alongside a Range Of Benefits Including
- Flexible Working: West Berkshire has adopted a Hybrid Working Policy, which allows employees to split their time between attending the workplace and working remotely
- Social Work England registration fees reimbursed
- Dedicated employee wellbeing service with Employee Assistance Programme offering a great range of discounts at a variety of retailers, services and everyday spending.
- Regular and high quality reflective supervision.
- Approachable and visible senior leadership
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Generous annual leave allowance, plus an additional 5 days leave after 5 years continuous local authority service
- Relocation package for individuals moving from outside a 30 mile radius (subject to eligibility)
- Blue Light card fees reimbursed
All roles are subject to an annual banding pay review until the top of the pay grade is reached (following successfully passing probation) All roles will be eligible for the annual national pay award.
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
West Berkshire has a visa sponsorship license and is therefore able to offer sponsorship through the skilled worker route. Due to West Berkshire’s size and high number of applications from International social workers, applications will only be accepted in September 2024. Please note that the certificate of sponsorship alone is not a visa: an individual will still need to apply for and receive their visa to have the Right to Work in the UK.
Required Documents
- CV/Resume
- Cover Letter
Application Process
Interested in this role? Then find out more and apply on the official website
Application Deadline
January 27, 2025