Social Worker Therapeutic Fostering Team

Social Worker Therapeutic Fostering Team

Permanent, Full Time

£36,101 to £48,622 Per Annum

Location: Colchester

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 9th February 2024

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

The Role

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda - one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We're immensely proud of our flexible working options.

The Opportunity

The function of the Therapeutic Fostering Team is to provide intensive trauma informed therapeutic intervention to foster carers who wish to provide placements for children who are moving from residential children's homes, or to children who have had multiple placement break downs.

In addition to this, the Therapeutic Fostering Team provide intensive trauma informed therapeutic intervention to existing foster placements where there is a risk of these placements breaking down.

As a Social Worker in the Therapeutic Fostering Team, you will be working intensively with foster carers and their families, using Therapeutic models to support and develop them in caring for vulnerable looked after children. In accordance with the Fostering Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Standards of Fostering. You will be managing a defined caseload and will be working closely with Clinical Psychologists and other teams such as the Children in Care, Leaving and After Care, Children with Disabilities, Assessment & Intervention and the Family Support and Protection Teams.

Accountabilities

• Assess, plan, review and provide support to a child, family or carer with complex family or social care needs, taking full account of appropriate legal frameworks, policy and guidance
• Assess family functioning, providing help and support, when relationship breakdown threatens to impair the health or well-being of children at risk of abuse or neglect
• Work collaboratively, building effective working relationships with other professionals, internally and externally to help children, young people and families improve and gain control of their lives when safety or ability to participate in their community is restricted
• Promoting autonomy and development with individuals who have complex social needs and are more vulnerable as a result of disability, exclusion, or diminished capacity, for example, working with people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or diminished capacity
• Maintain up to date, accurate and high quality records of activity on cases. Participate in a range of planning and decision making forums including case discussions, Strategy Meetings, Legal Planning meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Statutory Reviews
• Act as Practice Educators for social work qualifying course students on practice placements (as appropriate) or Assessor for Newly Qualified Social Workers completing their ASYE
• Working with communities, families and individuals to maximise or promote their personal strengths, social networks and resources
• Hold a caseload of a level of complexity and provide case management, guidance, support and expert advice to social care staff, students and newly qualified social workers, as and when required

The Experience You Will Bring

• Diploma or degree in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent
• Registration with the Social Work England as registered Social Worker
• Demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards eg Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS)
• Case recording
• Demonstrate ability in the application of SW knowledge, using emotional intelligence, analytical skills and act with confidence in challenging social and family situations.
• A good working knowledge and ability to use information technology and related systems eg, Word, SW case recording systems
• Required to work flexibly as required, including evenings and weekends if necessary.
• The ability to work in a trauma informed relational way.
• Demonstrate knowledge experience of trauma informed models.
• Demonstrate experience of delivering training and or workshops.
• Experience of working with foster carers or similar cohort

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our 'No Magic' Children & Families video here

Please note there are multiple vacancies.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England's oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest - Basildon and Harlow - are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found here pay and reward

To view our Organisational Behaviours information please follow this link.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email #####

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