Heavy industry in the area has gone and the county can now be proud of the beautiful green spaces which form the backdrop to the short commute from one side of the borough to the other. Similarly, the meaning of 'community' has shifted and adapted to reflect the changing demographic of the population.
But, at its core, Blaenau-Gwent Council remains committed to its vision to be 'a better place to live and work.' Collectively, we recognise that we have a commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of future generations; we want our children and their families to have opportunities to enjoy an exciting and aspirational future.
We are therefore seeking creative and motivated social workers to join our Children's Social Services' department.
We have permanent and fixed term positions available in our Locality based teams.
Principal responsibilities include assessment and care and support planning for children deemed to be in need of support, protection or in need of being looked after by the local authority. The locality teams work with children and their families from birth to 14 and our practice is driven by a focus on outcomes, strengths and confident risk management.
We welcome applications from student social workers (pending qualification), newly qualified social workers and experienced social workers. All successful appointees will benefit from a range of support; training and development opportunities; a competitive salary and a staff rewards scheme. If required; flexible working arrangements and agile working, geared at the promotion of work-life balance.
Our staff benefit from the opportunity to attend weekly, bite-sized training sessions with internal and external facilitators. The range of topics is varied. Our workforce development team also co-ordinates a varied package of more intensive training, developed following regular consultation with staff. We run quarterly Policy and Performance workshops, bringing the division together as a whole to aid networking, shared understanding and service development.
Newly qualified social workers, embarking on their first year in practice, will have a protected caseload. They will also have the opportunity to engage in workshops, coaching, mentoring and peer support and supervision, facilitated by our workforce development team. The aim is to help them adapt to life as a qualified social worker as well as preparing them for the next stage in their professional development.
All staff have regular, formal supervision, at least once per month and more frequently if needed.
What does this mean for our staff team? In a staff feedback survey, 98% of respondents reported that they feel motivated to do their job; 94% feel that they have a say about how they perform their job role and 88% expressed job satisfaction. 89% of respondents felt that their line manager was supportive of their professional development. Finally, 97% of respondents feel that they are valued for the work that they do.
It's a challenging, but exciting time to be working in social care. We would love you to come and join us.
Access to a vehicle for work purposes is a requirement. Thorough pre-employment screening is undertaken during the recruitment process. The postholder will be required to complete an application for a Disclosure of Criminal Records. We welcome applications in Welsh, please complete Welsh Job Application Form. For information on the re-employment and re-engagement of former employees please refer to the Council's Pay Policy. Closing Date: 26 th September 2024 - 12:00am, midnight Interview Date: TBC
