Children’s Services
Family Assessment and Safeguarding Team
Locations across Norfolk
Salary package up to £46,592.00
Who cares that the job of a child protection social worker can be tough? We do.
In Norfolk we’ve invested millions to completely change our operating model and create the professional and emotional support around you that you need to do the job you trained for, to get the best outcomes for children and families, and to achieve a work-life balance that suits you.
We’re realistic about the challenges, but we’re passionate about how we can support you to meet them, so you can enjoy the rewards social work has to offer.
The Council’s values and strengths
To provide outstanding services to children in need or at risk of harm and their families living in Norfolk, to bring about life long change and improved outcomes. To ensure children and young people are adequately protected in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) and departmental policy and procedures and relevant legislation.
To deliver high quality social work practice and utilise specialist knowledge to carry out in depth family assessment of social need and risk to children. To lead child centred assessments using professional curiosity, which involve the child’s family and network members, professionals and considers each child’s identity, experiences, and social circumstances.
To facilitate family networks in developing their own realistic and achievable child centred plan and involve key professionals in helping manage the identified risks and provide required services to meet the child’s needs. To review the effectiveness of each plan with the family network in a timely way to ensure that changes to the child’s lived experience and any services or interventions bring about positive long-term change for children.
To build effective relationships with children and their families which form the bedrock of all support and child protection responses, securing the best outcomes for children and young people. To strengthen the relationships between children, young people and families wherever possible and appropriate.
To maintain personal and professional credibility through effective working relationships with peers, managers and leaders both within and outside of the profession and organisation.
To contribute to the organisations roles as a corporate parent to children looked after away from home. Encouraging and advocating, to support children and young people to thrive and enjoy their childhood and move into independence with confidence and ambition for their futures.
To hold an allocated caseload of complex cases with supervision to protect vulnerable children, manage risk effectively, strengthen emotional resilience, and address underlying causes impacting negatively on children’s development through interventions with children and their families.
Coordinate and review planned interventions to ensure that the best outcomes are being achieved for children and young people. To utilise evidence informed practice to support multiagency decision making and acting without delay to ensure children and young people are safe and their needs are met.
To develop positive, trusting, relationships with children and their families to achieve positive change and with other professionals to promote collaborative working. To work in partnership with families/carers and key agencies who are involved in decision making and planning by sharing information in a timely and accurate manner.
To work within statutory responsibilities and departmental policies/procedures. To maintain full, accurate, and up to date records in accordance with departmental practice, timescales and guidance, including the maintenance of electronic records on case management systems. To use effective presentational skills to represent the department and provide verbal/written reports for court proceedings, case conferences and other arenas.
To champion and lead the Signs of Safety model as a basis for all work, creating consistent and inclusive experiences across Norfolk for children and families in receipt of services
To work in an integrated multi-disciplinary manner to ensure the service meets, as effectively and efficiently as possible, the identified best possible outcomes for children and young people and their families.
To uphold the core values and practice standards of the professional regulator which includes professional integrity, prioritising supervision and with the support of the social care academy taking responsibility for professional development in line with registration with the professional body.
Our new operating model supports practitioners, with:
Flexible Working
We support Continuing Professional Development with one day of protected time every month, and a Teaching Partnership with the University of East Anglia.
We are committed to equality and inclusion and welcome applications irrespective of gender identity, disability, marital status, ethnic origin, age, pregnancy status, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We are proud to have achieved Carer Friendly Employer Status, Disability Confident Leader Status, the Employer Recognition Scheme award for the Armed Forces Covenant and to be one of the authorities piloting the workforce race equality standard (WRES).