Consultant Social Worker (Fixed Term for 12 months) in Gateshead

Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might be the perfect match. We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time. We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.

At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi-time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.

Our Children’s Social Care team work to provide and further develop services to children and families across Gateshead to offer a focused and joined up approach to offer young people the best possible start in life. This is incredibly important work and includes an excellent early help and prevention service, assessment, intervention and safeguarding supporting children and their families, services for children in and having experienced our care, our fostering, residential and adoption services, support for vulnerable adolescents & those with disabilities and many more. It can be challenging but very rewarding work, as we passionately pursue our goal of helping Gateshead children to thrive.

We have a Social Care Academy that builds on our well‑respected Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme, which is highly valued by Newly Qualified Social Workers and across the wider workforce, including our Senior Management Team. The programme received positive feedback at our most recent Ofsted inspection, where Children’s Services were graded Good, and we have a clear ambition to achieve Outstanding. The Academy supports student social workers from a range of entry routes into the profession and continues that support beyond ASYE to enable career progression and development.

We are seeking an outstanding candidate to join this dynamic and motivated team and help shape the future of social work practice in Gateshead.

Responsibilities:

• Work alongside the Academy Team Manager and Consultant Social Worker to assess and support two cohorts of Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) each year, based in the Academy team for 3–6 months before they transition into permanent posts within Children’s Social Care.
• Act as Practice Educator for a pod of up to four student social workers, undertaking their final placements within the Academy team.
• Lead group supervision for student social workers and NQSWs on a regular basis, and support other Practice Educators in delivering effective reflective supervision.
• Co‑work cases with NQSWs to support progression of plans in line with statutory duties, including cases involving risk of significant harm and/or legal intervention.
• Provide a consultative and supportive role to social workers in the early stages of their careers and beyond, enabling access to high‑quality learning, practice development and progression opportunities.
• Remain embedded in frontline social work practice while gaining experience of oversight, quality assurance and operational direction within a team.
• Maintain oversight (alongside the Team Manager) of the workloads, performance and quality of practice of the student social workers and NQSWs you support.
• Undertake formal assessment and make professional recommendations in line with Social Work England standards and Skills for Care requirements.
• Contribute to the development of Early Career Social Work pathways and development programmes, supporting continuous improvement across Children’s Social Care and Early Help.

The Consultant Social Worker role is central to the experience of all Early Career Social Workers in Gateshead and offers a unique opportunity to positively influence outcomes for children, young people and their families through the development of a confident, skilled and resilient workforce.

What you’ll bring:

• A recognised Social Work qualification, relevant Post‑Qualifying (PQ) training, and current registration with Social Work England.
• Significant post‑qualifying experience in statutory children’s social work, including effective multi‑disciplinary working.
• Strong knowledge of social work legislation, statutory guidance, national policy drivers, organisational contexts and corporate parenting responsibilities.
• The ability to make sound, evidence‑based decisions, exercise professional authority appropriately, and model outstanding social work practice.
• An empathic, resilient and autonomous approach, with confidence working with complexity, risk and professional challenge.
• A proven commitment to practice education and workforce development, including: Practice Educator Level 2 experience or Level 1 with willingness to undertake Level 2 immediately, and Strong skills in coaching, assessment, supervision and professional development.
• A sound understanding of contemporary social work approaches, including relational, restorative, strengths‑based and systemic practice, together with a full driving licence and access to suitable transport to meet service requirements.

If successful you will have to apply for an enhanced Disclosure.

What’s in it for you:

• Competitive Salary: £45,091 - £48,226 plus a 5% R & R allowance.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme: We invest in your future too.
• Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years, plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
• Flexible Working Hours: Benefit from up to 26 flexi days per year, giving you more control over your time.
• Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
• Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
• Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
• Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme.
• Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services through our employee benefits platform.

Our commitment to you:

We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community.

How to apply:

You can apply online using the link below. We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.

If you have any questions about your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team.