Mae’r ddogfen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is also available in Welsh.
Principal Social Worker - Kinship Support - Foster Wales RCT
37 Hours per week - Grade 13 at £49,282 per annum
Maritime Business Park Unit 2, CF37 1NY
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is pleased to offer a Principal Social Work position within Social Services.
Foster Wales RCT has a full-time Principal Social Worker position available within the Kinship Fostering Support Team. The service benefits from a stable, experienced fostering workforce who are supportive, inclusive and dedicated to meeting the needs of our kinship carers and the children they care for.
This is an exciting opportunity for a creative and passionate individual who is committed to achieving positive outcomes for children and young people who are cared for within their family and connected networks. The role has a strong focus on supporting and sustaining kinship care arrangements, ensuring that carers are well-equipped to provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children.
As a Principal Social Worker, you will be expected to manage a complex caseload whilst balancing this with other requirements of the post. You will play a key role in developing best practice, requiring you to promote and deliver consistently high standards of professional practice, deliver peer sessions and mentor others to do the same.
There will be development opportunities within the post in line with the Local Authority and Foster Wales key priorities and workplan.
In addition you will play a key role in promoting best practice in kinship support work, ensuring that interventions are relationship-based, strengths-focused and responsive to the needs of children and their carers. You will support carers to access appropriate services, advocate on their behalf, and work collaboratively with colleagues across children’s services and partner agencies.
You will receive and provide regular professional supervision on a six-weekly basis and will contribute to the effective day-to-day management of the team. There will be occasions where you will deputise for the Team Manager and support service delivery.
All our practitioners have the chance to influence the development of our work and are supported by a strong, experienced management team both at strategic and operational levels.
We recognise that Social Work is professionally and personally challenging and demands considerable levels of skill, commitment, and enthusiasm. We offer a dedicated in-house Learning and Development Centre which actively supports practitioners at each level to maintain their skills and Continuous Professional Development.
Our Social Care Departments have benefitted from comprehensive and significant investment in recent years, and we have responded to this by strengthening preventative services which aims to add capacity to the front line.
You will benefit from a clear career pathway for social work professionals and an attractive employee rewards package, including flexible working, discounted Leisure for Life membership, and access to Cycle to Work and Let’s Connect schemes.
We expect our practitioners to have a sound understanding of the practice implications of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act, Fostering and other relevant legislation and good practice, be up to date with emerging issues and have experience of or an interest in working within the relevant discipline. Committed to anti-oppressive practice, successful candidates will bring strong assessment, communication, and planning skills.
We will look to you to manage a defined caseload while building and maintaining links with partner agencies. You must possess a professional recognised Social Work qualification and have at least 3 years relevant post qualifying social work experience, be registered and maintain your registration as a 'Social Worker' with Social Care Wales on appointment.
For further information and informal discussion please contact Rhiannon Shepherd (Team Manager) on 07393759247.
Benefits of Working for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council:
- Flexible Working Arrangements (depending on the role)
- Excellent Career Development
- Excellent Pension Scheme with Employer Contributions
- Occupational Health support and advice
- Staff Rewards scheme
- Vivup Card shopping discounts
Protecting children and vulnerable adults is a core responsibility of all staff appointed to the Council.
In addition to this safeguarding responsibility, the successful applicant for this role will also be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.
The Council values diversity in its workforce. We are committed to ensuring that no unlawful discrimination occurs in the recruitment and selection process on the grounds of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, transgender, including those with non-binary identities, religion or belief or pregnancy and maternity. We offer a number of staff networks for employees including the Allies Network, a Disability and Carers Network and Perthyn our LGBTQ+ Network.
An application submitted for this post in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English.
As part of the Council’s longer term objectives in relation to the Welsh language and its Workforce Planning Strategy, it is committed to a guaranteed interview scheme for Welsh-speakers of Level 3 and above. If you meet the essential criteria as identified in the person specification for the job and are a Welsh-speaker of Level 3 and above, you will be invited to interview if you choose to participate in the scheme.
In view of the large number of Application Forms which are currently being submitted individual applications are not acknowledged. Consequently if you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application is unsuccessful on this occasion. In which case you are thanked for the interest you have shown in applying for a position within the Council.
In support of the Council’s voluntary pledge to support the Armed Forces, the recruiter must always be prepared to ensure that applicants who have identified themselves as members of the Armed Forces including Service Leavers, Veterans or Reservists and who meet the essential criteria of the person specification, are offered an interview.
Care Experienced Leavers – Guaranteed Interview Scheme
As part of the Council’s corporate parenting role it is committed to supporting its care experienced leavers. This means anyone who has spent time within the care system at any point in their life. We encourage applications from individuals who are care experienced to enable them to access employment, education, experiences and volunteering opportunities.
The Council will guarantee an interview for any care experienced leavers who wish to take part in the scheme who meet the essential criteria for the role.
