This permanent full-time post manages a social work pod within the Kinship Team at Cheshire East Council, handling high-risk, complex cases for children and families. The core of the work is sound social work practice: assessing family need and risk, writing intervention and child protection plans, and supervising and developing staff. The role also holds budget responsibility for commissioned services and cash payments to families, with hybrid working offered where possible. Social Work England registration and an enhanced DBS check are essential.
What the job involves
- Provide quality, professional social work practice on high-risk complex matters, managing a complex high-risk caseload
- Assess parenting capacity, family and environmental factors and the need for protection, balancing risk against protective factors
- Write intervention and care plans for children and families, including child protection plans
- Research findings and statutory guidance, and produce concise reports for the Local Safeguarding Board, the court and other bodies
- Build relationships with children and families, ensure their views and wishes are heard, and write reports on their circumstances and plans
- Manage the social work pod, prioritising and allocating tasks and motivating and supporting the team
- Provide professional supervision to social workers and children's practitioners and support their professional development
- Liaise with other agencies and promote joint and multi-disciplinary working
- Manage budgets for commissioned services and authorise cash payments to families within financial regulations
- Maintain child records on the council's recording system, provide aggregated information and statistics, and share information under data protection law
- Contribute to the development of social work policy and procedures
- Analyse performance data and motivate and mobilise staff to meet and sustain performance targets across the service
Qualifications
- Social Work England recognised social work qualification
Registration & licences
- Social Work England registration
Experience
- Experience of complex social work with families
- Extensive and significant experience as a practising social work professional
Skills & knowledge
- Extensive understanding of risk management, child protection and safeguarding
- Clear understanding of safeguarding and the principles of early intervention
Checks & eligibility
- Satisfactory enhanced DBS check
What’s offered
- Annual leave of 34 days including bank holidays from day one, rising to 39 days after five years, with up to 10 extra days purchasable each year
- Guaranteed yearly pay increases
- 37-hour standard full-time week with flexi-time and hybrid or remote working where possible
- Career average public pension, accruing at 1/49th of yearly pensionable pay
- Salary sacrifice schemes for a green car lease and for white goods and electronics
- Cycle to work scheme
- Free, confidential employee assistance programme
- Discounted corporate gym membership at Everybody Leisure facilities
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Contact Details:
The Methodist Church in Britain Recruitment Team
