Social work jobs Advanced Social Work Practitioner

We are recruiting Advanced Social Work Practitioners here at Wakefield Council.

We know social workers are amazing people – working in challenging circumstances to deliver the best support to help children and families thrive. It requires a variety of skills including patience, empathy, advocacy, communication, and passion.

That’s why we need committed and energetic Advanced Practitioners to ensure a workforce of strong and confident practitioners, empowered to make a difference. It’s a pivotal role to help us deliver and maintain this vision of our staff.

At Wakefield we take an integrated and partnership approach to working. We work collaboratively to enact real change and positive impact for our district’s young people, families, and the communities we support.

At the heart of realising this is our staff. That’s why we’ve set you up to be in the best position to flourish, and work with families to realise their potential.

What do some of our Advanced Social Work Practitioners say about working for Wakefield?

‘I find Wakefield to be a very supportive and flexible employer. In my experience Wakefield strives to offer a better and better service to its families whilst supporting staff to improve their own development and performance. Team work is important in Wakefield and I like the emphasis and effort that is put into maintaining healthy and functioning teams. My own experience is that I was a very happy agency social worker but having worked in my team for two years I have been delighted to become permanent.’

‘I enjoy working for an authority that are making so many positive changes to improve the outcomes for children and their families – the improvement journey is an exciting thing to be part of.’

‘One thing I would say is that the management (in my experience) is very good which helps immensely with practitioners feeling confident in their work supporting children and families.’

So why choose Wakefield?

• Competitive pay (with market rate payment as an Advanced Practitioner).
• Manageable caseloads – with us we strive to keep your caseload to no more than 20.
• Small teams to foster a supportive and together culture.
• Comprehensive and innovative learning and development opportunities through an in-house Learning Academy centred on targeted training for your needs.
• You can grow with us through clear progression pathways.
• Good rewards and benefits as standard. Because we recognise staff are our most valuable resource.
• Essential car user payments.
• Minimum of 30 days paid holiday, rising according to your grade and length of service, plus 8 paid bank holidays.
• A great place to live and work. With culture, a plethora of green spaces, historical sites, culinary heritage, leisure opportunities, affordable housing, good transport links at a regional and national level, alongside being an accessible location.
• An AP forum dedicated to supporting the development of the role within Wakefield as an improvement lead from within the teams.

Here we’re looking for only the best – those with the skills, motivation, and passion to help us move forwards. But you also need to be:

• A qualified and experienced social worker, with a proven track record in achieving the highest standards of practice in complex casework.
• Able to carry out your role and responsibilities well whilst holding a complex case load and supporting our growing number of newly-qualified social workers.
• An individual who can develop and maintain highly effective relationships with colleagues in order to co-work cases and assist with their learning and development.
• A team player, passionate about contributing to quality service provision. You will be expected to assist the team manager by providing support and guidance to other team members to promote strong practice and positive change.

If you think this is you, apply to join our team. Choose Wakefield.

If you want to find out more about the benefits to choosing Wakefield, visit our dedicated careers page here.

For an informal discussion please contact Jane Wood jewood@wakefield.gov.uk

Closing date: 11 September 2021

Wakefield Council is wholly committed to ensuring children and young people are fully supported and safe. We are dedicated to the safeguarding of all children and young people whilst promoting their welfare, and expect staff and volunteers to share this responsibility.

The successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure Application Form and to provide criminal conviction information.

To view the details relating to this position click the links below: