Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Social Worker to join our Children with Disabilities Team in Wokingham. The ideal candidate will be passionate about providing quality services to children with disabilities and their families, delivered within a signs of safety practice framework, to support life skills development, increase independence, promote family resilience and keep children safe from harm.

\xe2\x80\x9cSocial workers are benefiting from reduced and manageable caseloads that are enabling them to do meaningful direct work with children and their families. Consequently, many children are safer at home and their circumstances have improved.\xe2\x80\x9d - Ofsted Focused Visit (2021)

The Social Worker role: You will be responsible for a caseload of children with disabilities spanning the range of statutory provisions, including Children in Need, children subject to Child Protection Plans, Children in Care and those where Care Proceedings have been initiated. You will work with these children and their families to undertake holistic social work assessments, with a view to identifying risk and need; and work with multi-agency networks to develop and review plans that address and mitigate concerns in a timely manner.

The ability to engage with a variety of stakeholders and communicate effectively in verbal and written form are key to performing this role and knowledge of alternative methods used to communicate with children with disabilities would be an advantage.

The Children with Disabilities Team: You will be working alongside our Occupational Therapy service and have close links with the CWD Early Help and Short Breaks and Transitions Teams, who are co-located at Shute End. You will be required to liaise with health and education professionals in order to develop support packages for children with multiple and complex needs and so the ability to understand and navigate multi-agency systems and processes is essential.

Your practical skills as a Social Worker will be supported by a working knowledge of the legislation that governs work with Children with Disabilities. A Social Work qualification is essential and prior experience of working with children with disabilities is desirable.

What we can offer you:-

• Manageable caseloads and supportive management
• Excellent Learning & Development programme
• Generous Annual Leave allowance
• Flexible work
• Enhanced Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

Please visit us at for more information about Our Offer.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Alix Williams, Recruitment & Retention Specialist for Children\'s Social Care: alix.williams@wokingham.gov.uk

Closing date: Monday 21st August 2023
Interview date: TBC

Please note, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

WBC is an equal opportunities employer.

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