Leaving Care Worker

Leaving Care Worker - Full-time

About the role

This is a permanent post based within Derbyshire’s Leaving Care Service for post within the North East and Amber Valley Leaving Care team in Derbyshire County Council. This post will be based at Chesterfield, one of our nationally renowned care leavers hub and office space.

You will be committed to corporate parenting, relationships-based practice as the driver of positive outcomes and transitions. Social Pedagogy, systemic and trauma informed approaches will be at the heart of your practice. We will also expect you to model best practice and mentor workers. You will be joining an established, high performing service with excellent strategic agreements including a recently refreshed and comprehensive Local Offer for care experienced young people which incorporates excellent opportunities for employment, education and training, discounted water bills, council tax reductions and thriving support groups, to name a few. We aspire to build an even better service following on from our 2023 Ofsted Inspection. Inspectors were humbled by the amazing strength’ of the council’s care leavers, that we are a consistently effective service and found:

A passionate and skilled workforce which is enabling care leavers to progress well and benefit from positive experiences The aspirations, wishes and concerns for young people leaving the council’s care are apparent and plans are ‘ambitious’ reflecting a ‘determination for care leavers to succeed in what they want to do.’ A focus on effective transition for young people between the ages of 16 and 18 with support to develop confidence and life skills to negotiate the opportunities and challenges of adulthood. Young people leaving the council’s care value the service and said workers are caring and supportive and they felt they could contact their worker when necessary maintain relationships with people who are important to them There is a clear focus on education, employment and training designed to help young people of all abilities choose the appropriate route to make the most of their opportunities when they leave care The council’s culture is ‘not giving up on a young person’ and this is embedded across the service

What will you be doing?

Provide a  quality service  that supports children to achieve their potential and achieve positive transitions to adulthood Effectively manage a number of young people to  achieve the best outcomes  for them. Evidencing a determined commitment to corporate parenting Working in partnership  with children and young people build and sustain relationships, identify needs, and develop plans and responses that meet those needs.

What skills and experience do you need? 

 Excellent  communication and interpersonal  skills, with a person-centred approach to building a rapport and relationships with children and families.  Ability to reflect on own practice and development enabling  flexible and thoughtful  social work practice and positive change. Experience of relationship focused work within a local authority.

We believe that hard work and commitment to your role should be rewarded, so we offer a package to our social workers that will ensure you always feel supported and valued:

manageable case loads two thriving office and young person hubs visible, supportive and determined managers. diverse range of allocations providing an exciting, challenging and rewarding career effective leadership and management which helps to reduce risk for our social workers and the children and families they support excellent supervision and a supportive peer network systemic training equivalent to a foundation level Post Graduate Certificate access to an excellent range of training and development opportunities, worth over £5000, including leadership and management development Corporate membership with Research in Practice – allowing access to reputable, evidence-based research, training, and resources fantastic opportunities to undertake further formal qualifications and career progression through our career pathways DBS check undertaken and paid for by us

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