At a Glance
- Tasks: Support adolescents and families, ensuring their safety and wellbeing.
- Company: Join Dudley Children's Social Care, a leader in family safeguarding.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous holidays, and a competitive salary package.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in young people's lives while developing your skills.
- Qualifications: Qualified Social Workers with at least 12 months of experience are welcome.
- Other info: Dudley promotes diversity and offers extensive training opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 33500 - 37000 £ per year.
Dudley Children’s Social Care has implemented the Hertfordshire Family Safeguarding Model across social work teams. It is a strengths-based, whole-family approach to supporting children and their families, bringing together, and co-locating with, multi-disciplinary partners, working intensively with families to reduce the risks of children coming into care or becoming subject to child protection planning.
Dudley’s Children’s Social Care is restorative in its practice approach, using motivational interviewing skills to bring about changes in children and their families, whilst acknowledging their strengths and that of their network. The Adolescent Safeguarding Service works with children and young people from the age of 13 upwards and comprises of 6 social work teams and 1 Child Exploitation Team that sits within the Dudley Exploitation Hub which consists of the Missing Team, Police Officers and is supported by Health and Education Professionals.
The Service consists of Social Workers, Youth Workers, Substance Misuse Workers, IDVA and voluntary organisation partners such as Barnardo’s and Phase Trust, Citizens Advice Bureau and CAMHS. Integral to the Service is the support provided to children who go missing from home. In addition, the Service works closely with a range of external and internal partners such as the Youth Justice Service and Housing.
We are currently looking for Social Workers to join our dynamic and ambitious Service. The successful candidate will display knowledge of Extra-Familial Harm and a high level of determination to ensure young people are able to remain living within their family networks in order to achieve positive outcomes.
We work with children and their families, co-producing the care plan that meets the needs of children who are at risk of child criminal and/or sexual exploitation. We always encourage and support innovative practice to ensure the most appropriate, robust and holistic support is offered to meet each child’s needs. A key part of this role will be your ability to positively impact the lives of children and young people.
We aim to create an inclusive working environment where everyone can achieve a healthy work/life balance. We are serious about our responsibility for personal and professional development and look to ensure that staff are equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience to succeed. The Council’s Benefit Package is designed to boost and maintain the health, wellbeing and general quality of life of all our staff.
We offer a wide range of benefits, to ensure that staff are paid fairly for the work they undertake and have the flexibility to enjoy a great work/life balance. We offer:
- A competitive salary package, including a career progression scheme
- A range of flexible working options, including flexitime and home-working, dependent on service requirements
- A generous holiday allowance and special leave provisions
- The Local Government Pension Scheme
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme – we are committed to supporting you
- Bullying and Harassment and Dignity at Work policies to protect your everyday working life
We invest in our staff, to enable them to develop personal and professional skills and progress in their Social Work Career. All new employees receive a comprehensive induction, training and development programme, with regular opportunities to update their skills and achieve their full potential. We welcome fresh thinking, recognise real talent and encourage innovation and ingenuity.
We train staff at all levels. We have a huge range of training opportunities, through the Centre for Professional Practice Service. We encourage and support Continual Professional Development, with opportunities to attend external training, secondment opportunities, and earn extra qualifications through the Apprenticeship Levy.
We are recruiting Qualified Social Workers with a minimum of 12 months post-qualifying experience. If you have been qualified as a Social Worker less than 12 months, or have not yet completed your ASYE programme, and are interested in working at Dudley Children’s Services then please contact our Centre for Professional Practice who will be able to advise of any vacancies available and describe the ASYE Programme on offer.
If you have previously been registered as a social worker in England but your registration has lapsed, and you would like to restore your registration we would love to hear from you.
So that we can demonstrate Dudley’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and to improve bias in the recruitment process that could create barriers for candidates. Your personal data will be anonymised when you apply, to ensure that you comply with our anonymisation process, please ensure you have removed your name and date of birth from any attachments prior to uploading them to your application.
Online application forms will only be accepted for this vacancy, online facilities for jobs are available at public libraries within the Dudley Borough. All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK.
Please note: Dudley MBC does not currently offer sponsorship for candidates without the Right to Work in the UK. If you require support completing an online or paper application form and or interview techniques, please contact Dudley Adult and Community Learning who can support with Digital Skills and Job Applications.
If you have a disability and require assistance in making an application please contact the HR Resourcing Team.
Dudley Council will check the information that you have provided against any details already held for accuracy and completeness. The Council will check, share and cross match your information both internally within the council and with external organisations to protect public funds and prevent or detect crime, only where the law allows us to do so.
The Council’s full Privacy and Disclaimer Statement can be accessed on the website.
Social Worker - Adolescent Safeguarding Team employer: WMJobs
Contact Detail:
WMJobs Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Social Worker - Adolescent Safeguarding Team
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the Hertfordshire Family Safeguarding Model, as it's central to the role. Understanding this model will not only help you in interviews but also demonstrate your commitment to the strengths-based approach that Dudley Children's Social Care values.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the field, especially those who work within adolescent safeguarding. Engaging with current social workers or attending relevant workshops can provide insights and potentially lead to referrals, making your application stand out.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for potential interview questions by reflecting on your experiences with Extra-Familial Harm and how you've successfully supported families in the past. Being able to share specific examples will showcase your expertise and suitability for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Reach out to Edward Wong, the Head of Service, for an informal chat about the position. This not only shows your enthusiasm but also gives you a chance to ask questions that could help tailor your application to what they are specifically looking for.
We think you need these skills to ace Social Worker - Adolescent Safeguarding Team
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description thoroughly to understand the responsibilities and requirements of the Social Worker position in the Adolescent Safeguarding Team. Tailor your application to highlight relevant experience and skills that align with the role.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise your experience in social work, particularly with adolescents and safeguarding. Include specific examples of how you've successfully supported young people and their families in challenging situations.
Showcase Your Skills: Demonstrate your knowledge of Extra-Familial Harm and your ability to use Motivational Interviewing techniques. Mention any training or certifications you have that are relevant to the role, as well as your commitment to continuous professional development.
Personalise Your Application: Address your cover letter to Edward Wong, the Head of Service, and express your enthusiasm for the role. Mention why you want to work with Dudley Children’s Social Care and how you can contribute to their mission of supporting children and families.
How to prepare for a job interview at WMJobs
✨Understand the Hertfordshire Family Safeguarding Model
Familiarise yourself with the strengths-based, whole-family approach that this model promotes. Be prepared to discuss how you can apply this in your practice and share examples from your experience that demonstrate your understanding of working collaboratively with families.
✨Showcase Your Knowledge of Extra-Familial Harm
Since the role involves working with adolescents at risk of exploitation, it's crucial to demonstrate your knowledge of Extra-Familial Harm. Prepare to discuss relevant case studies or scenarios where you've successfully identified and addressed such risks.
✨Highlight Your Motivational Interviewing Skills
The interviewers will be keen to see how you can use Motivational Interviewing techniques to engage with young people and their families. Think of specific instances where you've employed these skills to facilitate change and improve outcomes.
✨Prepare for Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration Questions
Given the collaborative nature of the role, expect questions about working with various professionals. Be ready to discuss your experience in multi-disciplinary teams and how you’ve effectively communicated and coordinated with other services to support children and families.