Salary range: Grade 12 £51,738 - £53,919p.a. plus fantastic benefits
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Croydon
Not afraid of a challenge? We need committed, experienced, qualified and knowledgeable social workers to help us with our core business – empowering and supporting people who need signposting, community support, or even some direct help from the Council.
In these changing times the Council Leadership has made clear their support for our statutory functions, including Adult Social Care. We know where our priorities are.
We have an established and stable base of Team Managers to work with and support you. Our vacancy rates our low - and we rarely use agency staff, preferring to concentrate our efforts on developing and investing in our permanent staff. This includes having dedicated Training officers supporting adult social care, and a Principal Social Worker to support staff welfare, practice and support you with your CPD responsibilities. We are an innovative council and have recently upgraded our electronic recording systems, are implementing “Magic Notes” to facilitate efficient assessments & reports, and we are working closely with our health & third sector partners to develop “Patienteer” a data sharing system. We have also commenced a recent rollout of new IT equipment for staff.
If you have some experience, but perhaps you have only just started supervising, or you don’t feel quite ready to deputize for a Manager yet then consider the Experienced Social Worker role. This role is primarily case work focussed but includes some light supervision, it’s a steppingstone role for many, but for others it lets them undertake more complex work without having to move into management.
You will be a qualified and registered (Social Work England) Social Worker with over two years post qualifying experience. Ideally you will have successfully completed your Assessed Year in Supported Employment (ASYE) as a newly qualified Social Worker.
Applications from non-qualified staff will not be considered.
Applicants wishing to join our aspiring and progressive adult social care services teams will have a commitment to team working and an enthusiasm for contributing to sharing ideas that support the development of all our services. Candidates will demonstrate professionalism, creativity and drive in their approach to person centred practice and problem solving; and an ability to work flexibly in response to a rapidly changing public service environment. Additionally the staff here at Croydon are friendly, and the transport links are excellent, as indeed is the support for working from home.
In return we offer scope to our staff team to progress their career, develop their individual professional practice, analytical and creative skills, and a department wide commitment to realistic caseloads. Croydon Adult Services operate a case load limit structure, designed to maintain viable workload and support output of work. This is supported by a Council wide programme of excellent learning, development and career progression opportunities, epitomised by our strong ASYE programme and commitment to post qualification training.
The Opportunities
In the context of developing our services to continue to meet the challenges of the current situation we are moving towards greater locality & community focused working with a heavy emphasis on Strength Based working, including short and longer-term work involving the following areas;
Older people their families and representatives.
Residents affected by Hoarding and Self Neglect behaviours.
Croydon Council Benefits
Croydon Council has one of the best benefits schemes in local government
From flexible working and generous annual leave entitlement, to employee benefits scheme, there really is something for everyone, whatever your taste or lifestyle. “We want Croydon Council to be a place where our staff enjoy their jobs and are proud to be here. We encourage development and invest heavily in helping you excel and achieve your full potential. We reward talent and excellence, and our flagship benefits scheme, Options, allows you to enjoy a healthy work life balance”. (Croydon recruitment offering).
For further information please contact Mark.Butler@croydon.gov.uk
To view the Experienced Social worker role profile please Click here.
The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services
Key business plan outcomes:
Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.
Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.
The Successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.
We provide a large number of services for local people, businesses and visitors to the borough, including services for children and adults, and environmental, cultural, sports, housing, planning and benefits services.
The borough is split into 24 electoral wards, and local elections are held every four years.
With a workforce of approximately 3,300 staff, including teachers in schools, Croydon Council is the largest employer in the borough. Spending over £900 million per year, the council makes a significant contribution to the local economy.
The council comprises three main political functions, the Executive (Leader and Cabinet), Committees, and Scrutiny.
The Leader and Cabinet are responsible and accountable for shaping policies and plans and recommending them to the council for approval. Cabinet also gives direction to departmental directors on the way services are managed and the budgets allocated to them.
Six non-executive committees take decisions relating to planning, licensing, standards of behaviour and conduct for members and officers, staffing issues, tenders, property transactions, liaison with local utility companies and internal audit.
Scrutiny holds the council executive functions to account. Examining aspects of council performance, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee also increasingly involves other local agencies which contribute to the economic, social and environmental well-being of the local population.
