Job Introduction
We appreciate our Senior Practitioners as they play a key role where they mentor, coach and supervise our aspiring social workers whilst still providing support to some of the most vulnerable children and young people of Milton Keynes. It will be down to your expert knowledge and skills which will make you best placed to assess and manage high levels of risk, be solution focused in your approach to put effective safety plans in place.
Here at Milton Keynes City Council, we invest in specialist assessments and therapeutic interventions to identify and address the root causes of the challenges families may be facing. You will have these resources at your fingertips to be able to create the best possible plans.
A few of the Benefits for this role include:
- Flexible working arrangements,
- A smart phone & laptop,
- Clinical supervision,
- Senior Management training & development opportunities
You will be joining a service where all senior and frontline managers are in permanent positions and our entire workforce is made up of less than 10% agency is something we are proud of. Our collaboration and no blame culture has created this stable workforce. We are one service, all dedicated and willing to go the extra mile to do all we can to keep children and their families together.
This role is eligible for you to be referred by an MKCC employee, as part of the Children’s Services Social Worker Referral Scheme. The successful candidate, and the referrer, will, subject to all conditions of the scheme being met, receive £1000. The reward is split into two £500 payments, the first received on appointment, and the second after the first-year anniversary of being in post. You must indicate in your application, the name of the person referring you, for this to apply. It can not be applied retrospectively.
Main Responsibility
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Being a Senior Social Worker for children and young people with a disability who are subject to Child In Need, Child Protection and/or Child Looked After plans as defined in the Children Act 1989.
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To complete a range of assessments which will inform care plans, including Children and Families Assessments, Risk Assessments, Parenting Assessments and Sibling Assessments.
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Develop care plans for children and young people with a disability and their families, to include provision of respite support and behavioural management recommendations.
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Represent the Local Authority in public and private law proceedings which will involve giving oral evidence court, writing court statements, care plans and complying with the directions as set out in court orders.
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Chair Child In Need, Core Group, Professionals & Strategy Meetings as part of a multi-disciplinary team which will inform assessments and care plans for children and young people.
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Work closely with colleagues to fulfil duty responsibilities as advised by the Team Manager during office hours.
The Ideal Candidate
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A qualified Social Worker (holding a Social Work degree or equivalent) registered with Social Work England with at least 3 years post qualifying experience.
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Someone who has had experience of working with children and young people with disabilities and their families.
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Someone who thinks outside the box, is able to challenge others and make evidenced based decisions.
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Enthusiastic and committed to building a culture based on excellence and collaboration.
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Someone who can work on their own initiative.
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Someone who has leadership and management skills to support others in developing risk management skills.
Package Description
We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes City Council, including:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme, considered to be one of the best employer contribution rates of 18.8%.
- 28 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 32 days after 5 years.
- Holiday Purchase Scheme.
- Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Health Cashplan.
- MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
- Blue Light Card - Employees working within Social Care can qualify for a range of discounts from national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more!
- SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
- Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles).
- Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs).
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements.
- Childcare Subsidy.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes is a diverse, welcoming, and expanding place, built on smart ideas with even bigger plans for the future. We have world class attractions, beautiful open spaces, and a great standard of living.
Milton Keynes City Council is one of the largest employers in the region, making a difference every day for local people. We’re responsible for all local government services in MK including education, housing, highways, and social services - around 240 services in all.
Our values are to be dedicated, respectful, and collaborative. If this sounds like you, join us for a stimulating and fulfilling career measured on results, and a rewarding work-life balance.
