Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.
Job Introduction
Are you an inspirational and child-centred social worker? Do you have an interest in developing long-term relationships with children and young people in care? Are you passionate about improving your direct work skills and working with children, young people, foster carers and their families to make positive plans of permanency?
As a Social Worker within our team, you will play a crucial part in the implementation of statutory responsibilities for our Children in Care, acting as a source of knowledge and experience for all team members and utilising your skills to work towards best outcomes for Children in Care.
Within the Children in Care Team in Milton Keynes, we have a real systemic way of working with children and young people, our visits are written in a narrative way to children and young people and this puts them at the heart of our practice. We have a team that consists of social workers, social work assistants and we work very closely with LAC nurses, primary mental health worker and our colleagues in the Virtual School. The nature of the work does mean travelling both locally and to places at a distance.
As a team we are very passionate about learning and self-development; we meet to discuss as a team every two weeks, where a member of the team presents an idea, model, practice tool or anything of their choosing. This active way of team and self-development promotes a real sense of togetherness and partnership within the team.
Main Responsibility
- Chairing multi-disciplinary meetings and working closely with other agencies/professionals to complete assessments and formulate child centred care plans.
- Completing annual Children and Family Assessments on each case to ensure that the care plan for the child/young person is reviewed.
- Ensuring that children have all of their day-to-day care needs met and fully understand their care story. This will be through the provision of direct work/life story work and multi-agency working with other professionals.
- Managing a caseload of up to 20 children with children subject to Care Orders, Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children, Placed with Parents and children subject to Placement Orders.
- Working as part of a team to share knowledge, develop team skills and contribute to the overall development of the team.
The Ideal Candidate
- You will ideally be an experienced Social Work professional holding case work responsibility for the most demanding and complex cases assigned to the team.
- The role holder will develop and maintain positive and influential working relationships with team members in order to fulfil the role of supervisor, mentor, coach and trainer.
- The role holder will work with a range of colleagues from across the Council and partners, and chair as appropriate a range of professionals’ meetings and decision-making forums.
- You will be the allocated Social Worker for children and young people who have care plans of long-term foster care, adoption or permanency through kinship care. It is essential that you have a driving license and a car available for work purposes.
- Prior experience of supporting looked after children and case experience with adoption is preferred; but not essential.
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%.
- 27 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years. (From April 2023 this will increase to 28, and 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, Apprenticeship Programmes (junior and senior), 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.
