social worker

Job Introduction

About Us

We are looking for a committed Social Worker to join our new countywide kinship team, as part of Oxfordshire County Council’s fostering service. Our focus is supporting and assessing kinship carers to meet the needs of vulnerable children in their care. We are an experienced and stable team who value best practice and are supportive of one another. You will receive regular, focussed supervision and support when needed.

About the Role

You will be responsible for assessing temporary Regulation 24 foster arrangements to present to Fostering Panel, as well as supporting and supervising connected persons foster placements. You will also undertake initial viability and Special Guardianship assessments for court, regarding children who are subject to legal proceedings.  The role will involve devising robust and creative support plans under both fostering and special guardianship arrangements to bring about successful outcomes for children.
 

About you

You will need to communicate well and you will be expected to maintain good working relationships across Children's Services and with other agencies. You will need to be pro-active and take responsibility for decision making.

Rewards and benefits

The kinship team is currently trialling a 9 day fortnight working pattern which can be further explored subject to the requirements of the service.

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too. We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working. We offer some of the very best learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 32 days, as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.

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