Sandwell Childrens Trust,
Sandwell Children's Trust - rated as a Good Provider.
At Sandwell Children's Trust, we firmly believe that
the voice of the child should be at the centre of everything we do. We are on an ambitious journey to ensure that children and families in Sandwell are safe and empowered to thrive.
Our
‘Sandwell Deal’, brings together our new improved offering that make Sandwell Children’s Trust a great place to work; it also sets out our expectations of you as a member of staff.
What we can offer you:-
- A market supplement of £2,500 per annum.
- Retention bonus of £2,000 in year 1, £3,000 in year 2 and £5,000 in year 3.
- Generous annual leave of up to 31 days, plus 5 additional days for long service recognition.
- Your birthday off paid in addition to annual leave entitlement and 8 Bank Holidays, plus a concessionary day at Christmas.
- You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme with employer contributions of 21.6%.
- We recognise individual loyalty with service awards from 2, 5, 10 and every 5 years onwards.
- Flexible working patterns that suit you and all of our roles have well-defined career progression.
- We provide competitive expenses for both mileage (55p per mile) and subsistence, plus access to a comprehensive employee benefits scheme.
Please visit The Sandwell Deal via this hyperlink
https://sandwelldeal.co.uk/
£46,753 - £52,317 per annum* and a relocation allowance of up to £6,500* plus, excellent benefits. Additionally, we pay a retention bonus of up to £10,000 over 3 years.
12 month fixed term contract
Hybrid Working - full time 37 hours per week
We are proud to create an environment where our employees are nurtured, caseloads are manageable and continuous professional development is encouraged. With a culture of collaborative working and the child at the heart of everything we do, there’s never been a more exciting time to join the Trust.
About The Role
The Permanence Hub is pleased to offer three new and exciting opportunities for experienced and motivated Social Workers.
The Permanence Hub is part of the Trust’s corporate parenting service and has a clear focus on achieving permanence for children through safe reunification and kinship arrangements where this is in the child's best interests. The service supports children to safely exit local authority care through robust assessment, planning, intervention and support.
The Permanence Hub works with children who are subject of Care Orders and living with parents under Placement with Parents Regulations, as well as children living within connected persons arrangements where carers are seeking Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs).
The Permanence Hub consists of two teams, each comprising:
- 6 Social Workers 1 Reunification Worker 1 Family Support Worker
Working in line with Family First principles, the teams deliver focused assessment and intervention to support children, parents and alternative caregivers, ensuring timely permanence planning and improved outcomes for children.
We welcome applications from Social Workers with experience of working with Children We Care For and permanence planning. We will also consider applications from practitioners who can demonstrate a strong interest in developing their skills and experience within reunification and kinship assessment work.
Key Responsibilities
As a Senior Social Worker within the Permanence Hub, you will:
- Complete and review Placement with Parent (Regulation 17) Assessments.
- Contribute to Coram BAAF Form K Special Guardianship Assessments and the development of Special Guardianship Support Plans.
- Lead on the completion of Coram BAAF Form K Assessments and Special Guardianship Support Plans where the prospective Special Guardian is not being assessed through Sandwell Children's Trust Fostering Service.
- Work collaboratively with Reunification Workers and Family Support Workers to ensure identified needs are effectively addressed through targeted intervention and support.
- Complete high-quality assessments which provide clear analysis and evidence-based recommendations to inform permanence planning.
- Prepare court statements, care plans and support plans to support applications for Special Guardianship Orders and the discharge of Care Orders.
- Champion permanence planning and remain focused on achieving timely, child-centred outcomes.
- Demonstrate strong corporate parenting practice through purposeful visits, effective planning and high-quality recording.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will:
- Hold a recognised Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England.
- Have successfully completed your ASYE within a Children and Families setting.
- Successfully progressed to Senior Social Worker.
- Have experience of working with children in care and an understanding of permanence planning.
- Possess a sound knowledge of legislation, statutory guidance and procedures relating to Children We Care For. Be skilled in assessment, analytical thinking and professional decision-making.
- Be able to identify strengths, risks and support needs and formulate clear recommendations.
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to understanding and promoting the child's voice.
- Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Be organised, self-motivated and able to manage competing demands effectively.
- Be a confident team player with the ability to build positive, collaborative relationships with children, families and professionals.
Why Join Us?
- Be at the forefront of the national reform in children’s social care.
- Work in a supportive, forward-thinking environment.
- Opportunity to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of children and families.
So, if you think your future could lie with a 'Good' Team, then we’d love to hear from you.
How to apply:-
To be considered for this role, please submit your up-to-date CV together with a supporting statement of no more than 1,000 words demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role. Your supporting statement should address the essential criteria outlined in the person specification, providing relevant examples where possible. In order to comply with safer recruitment standards your CV should include a complete employment history, with any gaps clearly explained.
Please submit your application to recruitment_childrenstrust@sandwell.gov.uk
Closing date: midnight on Monday 27th September
By joining our team, you will be making a real difference in the lives of children and families. We are dedicated to driving meaningful change and ensuring the best outcomes for those we serve. With the work that we have done so far and with the ambitions we have for the future, it’s a really exciting time to join Sandwell Children’s Trust and to become part of our Family.
Sandwell Children's Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable groups including children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children and young people.
If you require further information on the role or working for us please email recruitment_childrenstrust@sandwell.gov.uk and a member of our Recruitment Team will be happy to give you a call.
Please note that pre-employment checks will be carried out in line with the Department for Education KCSIE Guidance 2022.
- Pay rate is inclusive of market supplement
- Terms & Conditions apply for relocation allowance