Your time at work can usually be split into one of three camps - job, career or vocation - the latter derived from the Latin "vocare", which means "to call". And it was that call from within that you answered, encouraging you to choose Social Work.
Dedicating as much of your time as possible to safeguarding vulnerable children and young people is why you chose your calling and that is why the Assessment Service at Peterborough City Council (PCC) try to do things differently as Claire Howell, Service Manager for Assessment Service, explains:
"All of our teams have a dedicated social care practitioner; an unqualified member of staff that helps with some of the direct work with children, interventions with family and supports some of the more complex cases.
"Each team also has a CIAO (Children's Information and Advice Officer) providing additional support such as minute-taking for your Strat discussions, agency check requests and other administrative tasks that help free you up to do more work with families".
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Social Work Practitioner or a Social Worker who is looking for promotion to within the Assessment service for Peterborough City Council.
Claire also described how their duty system affords a better work-life balance:
"One of the things that everybody always asks during interviews is around our duty system and how often they will be on duty.
"In our team you will only be on duty once every three weeks, with two weeks off duty to progress your work, which we think is important"
"We also only cover the Peterborough city area, so it is a relatively small area, with a maximum 25-minute drive from one end to the other and it is those sorts of things that pulled me to work for the City Council rather than a County".
As a Senior Social Worker Practitioner at Peterborough City Council many of your complementary teams and services are co-located in the same building, which makes collaborative working much easier — Housing, Children with Disabilities, Adult Social Care, Legal and others are all easily accessed within a purpose-built office, which benefits from large river and green space views and a city centre location that is also close to main road and rail transport links.
Your role as a Senior Social Worker Practitioner in the Assessment Service is hugely rewarding, with a small remit but a regular circulation of work that means you will have the chance to affect every child that comes through the service, from unborn babies through to young people at the age of 18.
The successful candidate will have:
- A degree in social care with significant demonstrable post qualification experience and current SWE registration
- An expert understanding of the legislative and regulatory regime of multi-agency statutory children's services and the designated specialist portfolio for the role, together with an understanding of the framework within which Local Authorities operate.
- Knowledge of how to recognise political context of social care and respond appropriately at supervisory level.
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Leadership and supervisor experience within a relevant service context, which will include skills to deputise for the team manager when they are absent
- An in-depth understanding and skills in supporting staff with performance management and to meet KPIs
- Experience of leading change within an organisation
- High motivation, energy and personal drive, resilient and demonstrating highly developed emotional intelligence and self-awareness
You will also enjoy the generous retention bonuses that reward your hard work. These yearly lump sums are on top of your salary and include:
2.5% of your starting salary payable on the 1st anniversary of your start date
7.5% of your starting salary payable on the 2nd anniversary of your start date
10% of your starting salary payable on the 3rd anniversary of your start date
Fixed lump sums payable every year thereafter depending on your grade.
So, if you are a qualified social worker with ambitions of promotion (this role has come from internal mobility between teams in the department and promotion) then please click "apply" to easily share your details with us.
This is a rolling campaign so please don't wait for the closing date to apply, we aim to review all applications quickly and contact you soon after your first application.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.