Children\'s Social Worker - Permanence

We are recruiting for Social Workers based in our Ellesmere Port and Winsford Permanence Teams. We are looking for applicants who are committed, creative, resilient and able to progress plans within our busy service.

The Permanence Teams based in Ellesmere Port and Winsford deliver care, support, permanence planning and all statutory functions for Looked After Children. Each team has one Adoption Social Worker who holds responsibility for any child with a permanence plan of adoption. The Permanence teams are responsible for the progression and implementation of children’s permanence plans, from the point a Care Order is made.

The Hub is a borough wide service across Cheshire West and Chester, as part of this role you will be required to travel both outside the borough and between Chester, Winsford, and Ellesmere Port districts.

Our Children’s Social Care workforce is passionate and committed to improving outcomes for children by providing a consistent, high-quality service to children and families, together with excellent working relationships with our partners and the support from a stable leadership and management team. We are committed to a culture of shared learning and development in which you will have an active part to play in the continued progress of our services to children and families.

We have developed and embedded ‘Our Way of Working’ with our multi-agency partners to ensure improved collaboration and one common approach to our work with families using Motivational Interviewing and Trauma Informed Practice. You will be supported and encouraged to work creatively in planning and decision-making with children and their families and our partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes and with a focus on prevention at every level.

Our social workers will tell you:

• They feel supported and part of a team.
• They have access to excellent training opportunities.
• Managers at Cheshire West and Chester strive to make Social Workers feel valued and recognised, they are approachable, available and compassionate.
• Social Workers are encouraged and supported to be creative and strive for excellence.
• They feel valued and supported by their team, manager, and the senior managers.

Our commitment and investment in professional development means that most of our Senior Practice Leads, Team Managers and some Senior Managers have progressed within our own organisation. As a local authority, we continue to develop and enhance our social work offer to support and develop our valued workforce.

We will offer you:

• Excellent work-life balance, flexible and remote working arrangements.
• Bright, modern, and recently refurbished office environments.
• High quality progression and developmental opportunities.
• Competitive working rewards.
• Up to 16 days ‘flexi time’ per year as well as your annual leave.
• High quality supervision.
• Strong reflective practice framework.
• Free parking at all our office locations.
• We’ll pay your Social Work England registration.
• Excellent training opportunities.
• Re-location allowance in some circumstances.
• Competitive salary.

As employers, we recognise that Cheshire West and Chester Council has a major role to play in improving the quality of life of its employees. We are committed to agile flexible and mobile working and helping employees to maintain an effective balance between their work and home life. We have developed a ‘new normal’ and this ‘hybrid’ arrangement allows for us to be more flexible in how we provide services to children and families and an enhanced work/life balance to our Social Workers.

We have a strong and supportive political and senior leadership team with a wealth of experience and knowledge about children’s outcomes across the borough of Cheshire West and Chester.