Working for Children and Family Services we are asking you to make a commitment to become part of an experienced team who are ambitious and aspirational for the children and families we support. In turn, we make a commitment to creating the environment and learning opportunities to support you to be the very best social worker you can be and for your practice to flourish.
We have a solid practice framework (Signs of Safety) and a Quality and Performance framework that supports good practice in line with core values and behaviours outlined in our Achieving Excellence through Purposeful Practice plan.
This is an exciting time to join Leicestershire County Council. Our innovation partnership with Barnardo’s and the Defining Children Services for the future is placing Leicestershire County Council in a strong position to meet the challenges facing children and family services. The Directorate and Partnership are focused on becoming a Trauma Informed Organisation. Leicestershire is committed to promoting and celebrating equality and diversity across the workforce and in our work with children and families.
If you are ambitious and aspirational for the children and families we support, come and join us and be part of a team that are making a real difference to the lives of children and their families in Leicestershire.
Person:Sharon Cooke – Assistant Director of Social Care and Targeted Early Help
Why work for Leicestershire County Council?
We value the diversity of our areas of practice and our people, which makes us a great place to work and grow.
We offer a flexible, hybrid way of working. This includes a mix of working from home and time in the office.
Other benefits of working for us:
- Comprehensive support with your ongoing professional development
- Paid Social Work England registration
- Free car parking
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Option to work a nine-day fortnight
- Employee discount and benefit scheme
- Excellent annual leave entitlement (plus public holidays)
- Option to buy additional leave
- Employee wellbeing service
We know that technology is essential for the social work role and so we ensure that all new starters have a laptop or tablet and a smart phone to be supported in their role. Over the Covid-19 pandemic, we modernised our approach and support to families and utilise many new forms of technology.
Our salaries
- Level 1/Newly Qualified Social Worker (ASYE) – £35,287 (inclusive of market premia of £3,283)
(Entry level of Grade 9 (£29,784) until full Social Work England registration is granted. Increasing to the top level of Grade 9 with market premia (£35,287) once full social work registration is granted and for the duration of the ASYE Program.) - Level 2 Social Worker – £36,343 - £39,943 (inclusive of market premia at £3,283)
- Level 3 Social Worker – £40,693 - £43,366 (inclusive of market premia at £3,283)
- Senior Social Work Practitioner – £47,304 (inclusive of market premia at £2,250)
- Team Manager – £49,404 - £53, 865 (inclusive of market premia at £3,000)
Support
We know that working in social work, as a qualified social worker, manager, or in one of our support roles, can be challenging as well as rewarding. Due to this, we know that the support we provide to staff is essential to staff being able to work with children and families to the best of their ability, alongside taking care of their own wellbeing.
Critical Incident Support Service
We have a Critical Incident Support Service available to all staff within Children’s Social Care and the Family Help Service. Where there has been a critical incident at work and practitioners connected to a child/young person via the team or case work have been impacted, they are able to access support from an independent trauma practitioner within 48 hours. The support provided will be tailored to the practitioners needs and will continue for a number of weeks or months.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion is paramount within our services and teams, and we are committed to ensure that our Children and Family Services department is a service which recognizes and celebrates diversity across the workforce, as well as in our work with children and families. We have a Race Inclusion Board whose aim and purpose is to ensure a continued focus on achieving equality, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the department, alongside a network of BAME champions who can provide specific support and guidance.
Staff support program
We promote self-care and prioritise staff care - The Staff Support program is available to help all staff with workplace wellbeing and provides 24-hour access to telephone counsellors every day of the year, a helpline offering advice on practical life management problems, self-help via an online portal, structured telephone counselling and telephone career coaching.
Support for managers
We know that the support provided by managers is vitally important and so we are investing in a leadership program to support our managers to continue to develop their skills, so that they are able to provide the best support to practitioners. We are focused on providing quality reflective supervision, so that staff feel able to openly explore the work they are doing with families, as well as reflective on their own needs.
Support for staff
Our Practice Excellence team is focused on supporting practitioners and teams in their work with children and families. The team provide tailored support to teams to help support staff and staff skills. The team will also provide 1:1 consultation alongside practice support for practitioners work with children and families.
We hold regular meetings that are open to all staff across Children’s Social Care and the Family Help Service where the senior leadership team share information about recent developments within their service areas. This is an opportunity for staff to ask questions, give views and opinions and engage collaboratively with the senior leadership team.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please contact our Resourcing Coordinator:
- Email: CFS-Recruitment@leics.gov.uk
- Telephone: 0116 305 5973