Responsibilities

We are a vibrant community team based in High Wycombe. In addition to the salary advertised, you will receive a market premium of £2,275 per annum, you will also receive a ‘Golden Hello’ lump-sum payment of £2000 paid on successful completion of your probationary period.

Why join us?

We are closer than you think!

We are lucky to have really good transport links including easy access to M25 and M40 and therefore, we are commutable from various locations including Slough, Reading, Hillingdon, Luton and Bedfordshire. We are also outside of the ULEZ zone.

We invest in staff wellbeing

We understand that you can’t give what you don’t have so we focus on staff wellbeing to enable employees to support the most vulnerable communities. To achieve that we organise meditation and “getting active” sessions, pull together for team building and volunteering days and promote open and inclusive communication.

Robust induction

We have innovative approach to induction whereupon you will be provided with a buddy and presented with a schedule of shadowing opportunities already booked into your calendar to help you settle in to your role from the first day on the job.

Realistic expectations

You can expect a manageable caseload of up to 25 active cases and supportive approachable managers to guide you. You are never alone!

Staff Benefits

You will get free parking and an essential car user allowance. We will cover the cost of your annual Social Work England registration. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. We also offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme to those who are eligible and have passed their probation period.

We value and invest in you

We provide a range of internal and external training courses and free access to RIPFa resources with a council log in. We have a clear career progression pathway to give you opportunities to grow and flourish. You will have a bespoke Personal development plan to support you in exploring your areas of interest.

About the role

As a social worker at Buckinghamshire Council, you will ensure the highest standards of service are provided to the residents of Buckinghamshire. You will:

• Be an ambassador and leader across social work, both internally and externally.
• Provide a high-quality and effective professional casework service, taking responsibility for working and managing a caseload within a framework of appropriate supervision, dependent upon the complexities of these cases and your experience.
• Comply with legislation, statutory guidance, and local policies and procedures.
• Deliver outstanding support to our residents and ensure that regular monitoring and review of care and support plans are carried out.
• Be competent in all areas of the Professional Capabilities Framework of Social Work.

Mobile:

A ‘mobile’ role gives you the flexibility to schedule your own diary, so you can meet with colleagues and clients in a variety of locations. You’ll access digital folders and resources on your laptop and be able to use the network wherever you are based. Working from home will be common, as well as meeting your team in the office where necessary.

About you

You must be a qualified Social Worker (holding a social work degree or equivalent) and be registered with Social Work England. In addition, a full driving licence with access to a vehicle is an essential requirement for this role.

Naturally, you’ll be a great people person, familiar with working to a strength-based approach. Thinking outside the box, you’ll support your clients and help prevent, reduce or delay the need for care. Bringing your in-depth knowledge of the latest legislation and statutory guidance, you’ll work independently and with colleagues to support adults and their families. Persistence and an adaptable approach are needed in an outcome-focused way with partners such as health services, community sector, housing, care providers and other stakeholders.

If you'd like to hear from some of our current social workers and social care staff, take a look at our careers social media pages Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram

We welcome individuals looking to return to social work and offer a return to social work programme assessment and support process. Should this be something of interest to you please contact the Learning and Wellbeing Hub via email at [email protected] to arrange an informal chat or to find out more information.

Other information

You will be required to apply for a DBS at an enhanced level. Further information about the DBS Scheme can be found at GOV.UK

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and convictions cautions
• All adult cautions and spent convictions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) guidance or Ministry of Justice (MOJ) guidance (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Qualified Social Worker or Occupational Therapist 
• Commitment to continuing professional development
• Demonstrable experience in relationship and strengths-based practice, working collaboratively with adults and their families
• Demonstrable experience of undertaking direct work with adults
• Proven experience in one or more areas of practice and have a broader knowledge of local and national resource networks
• Ability to use advanced theoretical/ practical/ procedural/ organizational/ police knowledge across a specialist area
• Knowledge and experience of working with vulnerable adults in a statutory setting
• Knowledge and experience in the application of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, standards and local policies and procedures
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in the application of relevant theoretical frameworks, practice models and research findings
• Ability to demonstrate awareness of legislation relating to General Data Protection Regulations and Freedom of Information
• Demonstrable ability to build sound, productive working relationships with colleagues, partners and other staff
• Demonstrates strong assessment skills and analysis of relevant information and develops multi agency outcome-focused plans to improve outcomes for adults using evidence based practice.
• Engages effectively with adults and has experience of using different tools and methodologies to communicate with adults.
• Ability to maintain accurate and up to date case records in a timely manner
• Ability to write high quality written reports which are suitable for a variety of professional settings
• Ability to analyse and interpret varied and complex information,  developing strategies and solutions for the medium and long term
• Ability to use well developed communication skills to present
• complex/sensitive information in an understandable way, to a range of audiences
• Competent in the use of Microsoft Office packages as well as an electronic case management systems
• Ability to practice effectively and competently with an increasing level of autonomy and independence
• Ability to determine which interventions, knowledge and skills to deploy to effectively respond to different issues
• Ability to carry out tasks which impact on the wellbeing of people, including assessing needs, implementing care/welfare,
• implementing regulations, providing guidance on internal procedures and interpreting policies and procedures to meet specific circumstances or problems
• Ability to work under pressure and manage time and workload effectively
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team to achieve team and service plan objectives and targets
• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times
• Social Work Advanced Practitioner - Qualified Social Worker
• Occupational Therapist - BSC degree in Occupational Therapy or COT Diploma qualification or equivalent
• Successful completion of qualifying year together with one years post qualifying  experience of working with adults 
• Full driving licence with access to a vehicle
• Registration with Social Work England or HCPC
• Commitment to continuous professional development
• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to individual and reflective supervision 
• Work flexibly where needed to facilitate seven day working 
• An understanding of Social Work England’s/ HCPC’s professional standards and a commitment to upholding them in your practice

Desirable:

Please see the attached job summary for more details.