Senior Social Work Practitioner (Locality Teams)

Providing a high quality service in relation to all aspects of the referral, decision making, assessment and care management process. This will include chairing complex meetings, supervision of staff, and ensuring performance and data information is properly collated and recorded on the WCCIS system and monitored in accordance with quarterly reporting requirements.

It’s no secret that, with its roots in heavy industry and, as the birth place of the NHS, Blaenau-Gwent and its people have a proud community heritage.

Nothing stays the same of course.

Heavy industry in the area has gone and the county can now be proud of the beautiful green spaces which form the backdrop to the short commute from one side of the borough to the other. Similarly, the meaning of ‘community’ has shifted and adapted to reflect the changing demographic of the population.

But, at its core, Blaenau-Gwent Council remains committed to its vision to be ‘a better place to live and work.’ Collectively, we recognise that we have a commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of future generations; we want our children and their families to have opportunities to enjoy an exciting and aspirational future.

We are therefore seeking a creative and motivated senior social work practitioner to join our Children’s Social Services’ department.

The post is based in our Brynmawr Locality team. Principal responsibilities include providing guidance, support and leadership to qualified social workers and support workers tasked with assessment and care and support planning for vulnerable children. The locality teams work with children and their families from birth to 14 and our practice is driven by a focus on outcomes, strengths and confident risk management.

We welcome applications from experienced senior practitioners and qualified social workers who feel ready to take the next steps in their careers.

The successful appointee will benefit from a range of support; training and development opportunities; a competitive salary; a staff rewards scheme; 26 days’ annual leave (rising to 31 after 5 years’ continuous service) plus statutory holidays and the option to ‘purchase’ additional annual leave if required; flexible working arrangements and agile working, geared at the promotion of work-life balance.

Our staff benefit from the opportunity to attend weekly, bite-sized training sessions with internal and external facilitators. The range of topics is varied. Our workforce development team also co-ordinates a varied package of more intensive training, developed following regular consultation with staff. We run quarterly News and Networking workshops, bringing the division together as a whole to aid networking, shared understanding and service development.

All staff have regular, formal supervision, at least once per month and more frequently if needed.

What does this mean for our staff team? In a staff feedback survey, 98% of respondents reported that they feel motivated to do their job; 94% feel that they have a say about how they perform their job role and 88% expressed job satisfaction. 89% of respondents felt that their line manager was supportive of their professional development. Finally, 97% of respondents feel that they are valued for the work that they do.

It’s a challenging, but exciting time to be working in social care. We would love you to come and join us.

This post requires a registration with Social Care Wales under the category of Social Care Managers / Social Workers and registration will need to be in place prior to commencement in the role. Information on how to register with Social Care Wales can be found on the following website https://socialcare.wales

Access to a vehicle for work purposes is a requirement.

Thorough pre-employment screening is undertaken during the recruitment process. The postholder will be required to complete an application for a Disclosure of Criminal Records.

For information on the re-employment and re-engagement of former employees please refer to the Council’s Pay Policy.

Closing Date:         19^th December 2024        

Interview Date:      TBC