Newly Qualified Social Worker

Job Introduction

About Us

We are excited to invite applications for Newly Qualified Social Workers to begin their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) in our Social Work Professional Development Centre.

We have created the Social Work Professional Development Centre because we know that nurturing and supporting our NQSWs to become great practitioners is crucial in developing a strong and stable workforce and delivering outstanding services to the children and families of Oxfordshire.

The role of a children's social worker can be challenging but is also a privilege and hugely rewarding. We know that the right support in your first year of practice will equip you with the skills you need to flourish in your career.

We are seeking newly qualified social workers to join a variety of teams across Children’s Social Care for the Assessed and Supported Year (ASYE) programme.

If you join Oxfordshire County Council you will be joining a strengths-based service that is focused on supporting families to keep their children safe and to make lasting change. We do this by keeping relationship-based practice at the core of everything we do and using motivational interviewing to engage families. 

We want to provide you with a thoughtful, scaffolded learning experience for your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment, in which all those new to practice feel safe and well supported throughout, with a protected caseload and gradual increase in the time spent with our teams as your practice develops. The Social Work Professional Development Centre will treat each NQSW as an individual, with a development plan based on individual learning needs and regular progress reviews, which will enable us to ensure that everyone has the best possible learning experience, tailored to their individual needs. We've designed our own competency framework for our NQSW's development, which is aligned with Oxfordshire County Council’s guiding principles for strengths-based practice.

Here’s what some of our recent NQSW’s had to say;

 "The new Social Work Development Centre has enabled me to start my social work career in a positive, supportive and protected environment. I feel grateful that I have had the opportunity to be part of this team where I can develop at my own pace and where support is available as and when required, rather than being thrown in at the deep end. Being part of this friendly team has enabled me to gain confidence, knowledge and independence without feeling overwhelmed and out of my depth" – Kirsty

 "The Social Work Development Centre that is currently being run in Oxfordshire has really helped me feel safe and supported as a NQSW. The Development Centre supports all NQSWs from all backgrounds with varying levels of experience within children's statutory social work. I feel that the Development Centre can really help those whose training and qualification has been impacted by the pandemic" – Patrick

 "All the people in the Social Work Development Centre are approachable and supportive, it feels like I'm part of a family. This was one of the most important things to me when looking for a job and I feel grateful to have joined such a friendly and forward-thinking organisation" – Harriet

About the Role

We are hiring for roles across Children's Social Care. Services include: Integrated Assessment Team, Family Solutions Plus, Children We Care For, Children with Disabilities, & Youth Justice and Exploitation Service. 

About you

• Be value-based practitioners with a commitment to strengths-based practice.
• Be qualified and Social Work England registered (or in process of)
• Have good communication skills, with the ability to build relationships, engage with children and families
• Have the ability to produce concise, effective and accurate written work
• Be resilient, with the ability to manage the emotional impact of the work, actively making use of appropriate support
• Be required to travel as part of the role as we cover locations throughout rural parts of the county and therefore should have access to your own transport and a driver license. 
• Previous experience of working with children and their families.

Rewards and benefits

• A competitive salary starting at £33,820 per annum starting salary, with progression up to £40,478 per annum.
• A pension package of up to 20% employer contribution.
• Manageable caseloads; not only is it important that you love what you do, but it's also important to be able to manage your workload and devote the right amount of attention to each family.
• A role in an authority rated 'good' by Ofsted, as a Social Worker, you get the support you need.
• Flexible working. We do all we can to ensure that every one of our employees has a healthy work-life balance. Our agile working policy means you can work across council sites or from home to suit your needs and we support flexible working hours. You will be provided with a laptop, mobile phone and MS Teams to facilitate agile working.
• Generous annual leave allowance. We know that as a social worker, you do an invaluable job. We offer a generous holiday allowance starting at 29 days per year (plus bank holidays) to help demonstrate how much we value the work you do. We also offer an annual leave purchase scheme.
• A caring and supportive culture. We are passionate about keeping people safe, well and independent, whilst making a positive contribution. We host regular listening events and have a well at work scheme, which focuses on health and wellbeing. There's also a social presence, with yoga classes, sports teams and more.
• Other benefits include: Cycle to work scheme, staff discount scheme for a range of retailers, holidays, insurance, restaurants, health & leisure activities and rail travel.

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk