Job Summary
Working Pattern:
Full time
Advert Start Date:
20/06/2024
Advert End Date:
07/07/2024 23:59
Salary:
Grade 6 £25,979 - £28,770
Job Category:
Social Work - Children Service
Employment Location:
Locations in Central, North, South and East Durham. Hybrid working options are available.
Further Information
We are looking for 10 practitioners with experience of working with children, young people and families who are ready to take their careers to the next level by training to become social workers.
This is a temporary role for 3 years whilst you complete a social work degree apprenticeship: ( https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/social-worker-integrated-degree-v1-1 ). You will earn a salary for the whole 3 year period and the costs of your degree will be fully funded by Durham County Council’s apprenticeship levy.
Following successful completion of your social work degree and registration with Social Work England you are guaranteed a permanent social work role working with children and families in Durham. Our social workers currently start in post on Grade 9 ( £33,024) and are eligible for a £2,000 lump sum welcome payment. You will complete your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) with the support of our excellent Social Work Academy.
On completion of your ASYE you will be eligible for progression to Grade 11 (£38,223 -£42,403) and will continue to benefit from the support of the Academy in the second and third years of your career.
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
In this post you will work towards becoming a social worker by completing a degree in social work (an integrated degree apprenticeship). At least 1 day of your working week will be dedicated to study, but you will need to commit time for additional study and completing assignments.
You will primarily work within a hub with other social work trainees supported by a lead practitioner who is an experienced social worker (we have 4 hubs, based in Crook, Sherburn Hill, Chester le Street and Durham; each supported by a lead practitioner). You will experience a variety of work with children and families, which will gradually increase in complexity as your skills and knowledge develop. You will complete a 10 day shadowing placement and 2 further placements (1 of 70 days and 1 of 100 days) in our social work teams.
You will be supported to implement Durham’s Signs of Safety practice model, which is a strengths-based and safety-focused approach to practice, grounded in partnership and collaboration with families.
We encourage you to come along to an online briefing where you will be able to find out more and ask questions about these roles and the degree programme.
The on line briefings will take place via MS Teams on:
Tuesday 25th June between 6:00-7:00pm
Tuesday 2nd July between 6:00-7:00pm
Please use this link to book your place: https://forms.office.com/e/nSpBUQtR3B
You will receive your invitation before 3pm on the day of the briefing you have booked.
You can also view a webinar about the Open University programme here: https://bit.ly/3Uwv5hF
WHAT WILL I NEED?
- To have a real enthusiasm for social work with children and families as a career.
- A relevant professional qualification at level 3 or above e.g. nursing, mental health, education, criminal justice, youth work, therapeutic practice, counselling.
- GCSE grade C or above in English and maths, or a certified equivalent such as functional skills level 2.
- Recent experience of working with children and/or families.
- To meet the requirements of the Open University social worker degree apprenticeship programme.
- You can find out more here: Social Worker Degree Apprenticeship | Open University
Please note: In order to be eligible for apprenticeship funding you must not have previously studied towards a Social Work qualification, or currently be studying towards a Social Work qualification.
We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates and aim to have a workforce that represents the society that we serve, and are particularly keen to hear from care experienced people.
INTERVIEWS
You will hear from us about whether you have been selected for interview during the week commencing 15th July. Interviews to be held in Spennymoor on 22nd, 23rd and 24th July.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.
If you have any support needs or require assistance when applying for this role, please contact the Payroll and Employee Services Team via email PESCYPS@durham.gov.uk.
BENEFITS AND REWARDS
You will join a service where staff wellbeing and support is fundamental. Find out how we support our Social Workers in Durham by visiting https://www.durham.gov.uk/childrenssocialwork
We can offer you a range of employee benefits including competitive salaries, a generous leave entitlement of up to 32 days, a government pension scheme and various flexible and hybrid working options (benefits are subject to individual Terms and Conditions).
Find out more https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits
HOW TO APPLY
In line with the County Council's Recruitment and Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CVs. Applications must be submitted on-line via the Northeast Jobs portal.
Please use the person specification section of your application form to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed.
We collect personal information from you when you register with North East Jobs and make an application. Details on how we process your personal data is available in our Privacy Notice https://www.durham.gov.uk/media/24645/Privacy-notice-human-resources/pdf/PrivacyNotice-HR.pdf