Vacancies

Social Worker - Children in Care Long Term

About the role

Join our Children in Care Long Term Team and make a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people who need committed, relationship-focused social workers to help them achieve stability, permanence and positive futures.

At Northamptonshire Children's Trust, we are committed to delivering outstanding services for children in our care. Our Children in Care Long Term Team works with children and young people who are subject to Care Orders and whose plan is for long-term care. We are passionate about ensuring children experience stability, security, belonging and the opportunity to thrive.

This is an opportunity to undertake meaningful direct work, build lasting relationships and advocate for children and young people throughout their care journey. You will work alongside children, carers, families and partner agencies to ensure every child is listened to, supported and empowered to achieve their full potential.

We are proud of our relationship-based approach to practice, where the voice of the child is central to all decision-making, reflective practice is valued, and social workers are supported to provide high-quality interventions that make a real and lasting impact.

We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email one of our corporate parenting, service manager: Lesley Lown; lesley.lown@nctrust.co.uk and you can agree a mutually agreeable time to call you.

Why Join Us?

Working within our Children in Care Long Term Team offers the opportunity to:

Build enduring and meaningful relationships with children and young people.
Deliver purposeful direct work that helps children understand their experiences, identity and future plans.
Champion permanence and long-term stability for children in care.
Be part of a supportive and collaborative team culture.
Receive regular reflective supervision and management support.
Access opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression.
Work alongside experienced multi-agency partners committed to achieving positive outcomes for children.
Contribute to a service that values creativity, innovation and excellent social work practice.

What will you be doing?

As a Social Worker within the Children in Care Long Term Team, you will hold a caseload of children and young people living in long-term care arrangements and play a key role in helping them achieve permanence, stability and positive life outcomes.

You will:

Develop and maintain strong, trusting and meaningful relationships with children and young people through consistent and purposeful direct work.
Ensure children and young people are seen, heard and actively involved in decisions that affect their lives.
Complete high-quality assessments, care plans, pathway plans, court reports and statutory recording.
Coordinate effective care planning for children in long-term foster care, kinship care, residential care and supported accommodation.
Champion permanence planning and ensure children experience stability, security and a strong sense of belonging.
Support children to understand their care journey, identity, family relationships and future aspirations.
Work in partnership with carers to strengthen placements and promote positive outcomes.
Undertake life story work and other therapeutic or relationship-based interventions where appropriate.
Prepare young people for adulthood and support successful transitions to greater independence.
Collaborate effectively with families, carers, education providers, health professionals, legal services and other partner agencies.
Manage complex safeguarding concerns, assess risk effectively and make informed, child-centred decisions.
Contribute to service development and support a culture of continuous improvement, learning and excellent social work practice.
Attend and contribute to statutory meetings, reviews, professional networks and court proceedings where required.

About you

You will be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England who has successfully completed your ASYE and is passionate about improving the lives of children and young people in care.

You will bring:

Experience of working within children's social care, including children in care, safeguarding, assessment or court work.
Excellent assessment, planning, analytical and decision-making skills.
The ability to build authentic, trusting and effective relationships with children, young people, families, carers and professionals.
Confidence in managing complex cases and balancing risk with strengths-based practice.
A strong understanding of permanence planning and the factors that contribute to stability for children in care.
Knowledge of child development, attachment, trauma and the impact of adverse childhood experiences.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
The ability to work collaboratively within multi-agency environments.
Strong organisational and time-management skills.
A commitment to reflective practice, professional curiosity and continuous learning.

We are looking for social workers who:

Are passionate advocates for children in care.
Demonstrate resilience, compassion and professional integrity.
Understand the importance of relationship-based practice.
Value the voice, lived experience and individuality of every child.
Are committed to challenging disadvantage and achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
Can think critically, act decisively and work effectively within complex situations.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

Our benefits

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

SWE Registration paid yearly (social care colleagues)
Recruitment Welcome Bonus of £4,000
Relocation costs of up to £8,000
Retention bonus payments for established personnel
28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days, after 5 years
Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
Extensive Learning & Development and career development opportunities
Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of everything we do. Every decision we make and every action we take is guided by our commitment to delivering high-quality services that make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Northamptonshire.

We know that our people are our greatest strength. Our workforce is at the centre of our success, and we are committed to creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to do the best job of their lives every day. We foster a culture built on kindness, collaboration and trust, where achievements are recognised, ideas are welcomed and innovation is encouraged.

We are proud of the positive impact we make together and delighted that our work has been recognised by Ofsted, with an Outstanding rating for Leadership and Management and Good ratings across Help and Protection, Children in Care and Care Leavers.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation.  We are a Disability Confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers, who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of an ambitious, supportive and forward-thinking organisation, Northamptonshire Children’s Trust could be the place for you.

Supporting Children – A Career That Matters

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