Social Worker- Family Help

Hi, I am Jenifer Dewar, Assistant Director for Family Help at Norfolk County Council. Norfolk are a 'Good' authority with 'exceptional leadership'. We are proud of our Social Work Teams and value all our practitioners. This is an exciting time to join the frontline Social Work teams at Norfolk following the launch of our brand-new operating model. Family Help mirrors some of the ambitions laid out in the National Children's Social Care Review (2022) and the Government's response to that, Stable Homes Built on Love (2023), it further amplifies and enhances elements we know have worked for our children, families and practitioners in Norfolk for some time. We are just about to implement this way of working county wide following on from a very successful trial period. Family Help consists of multi-disciplinary teams working collaboratively to meet the needs of children, and in a culture that prioritises relationships, direct work and extended family networking to affect sustainable change. Our family help teams have 22 practitioners, of which seven or eight are social workers. The rest of the team is made up of family support workers, specialist practitioners, assistant managers and team managers. Cases are managed by the whole prevention and protection teams and families receive targeted interventions at a very early stage, improving outcomes for our Children and Families. We have received amazing benefits from this way of working for our Social Workers too including the reduction in intervention times and paperwork. You will be joining an authority who cares about your wellbeing, who are passionate about flexible working and who develop practitioners, so everyone feels valued and part our Norfolk County Council family. We are looking for Practitioners who are qualified Social Workers who are registered with Social Work England and who are experienced in Child Protection, Assessments and Court Work, who are excellent team players and share our vision to provide the best possible outcomes for children and families.

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement with the ability to buy and sell leave
• Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling service
• Flexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working - dependent on your job role and business need.
• Financial benefits such as:
+ 'Norfolk Rewards' our employee discount programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out. + A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care Workers + Relocation expenses (where applicable) + An advance of your expenses if you travel for work + Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants' pensions. + A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job. + Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension, new bikes and electric cars., As social workers, your job is to care about others, but who cares about you? At Norfolk County Council, our supportive managers and friendly teams care about you, your well-being, and your career development. We've invested time and resources to develop our operating models and to ensure the professional and emotional support you need to get the best outcomes for adults, children, and families, and achieve a work-life balance which suits you. Our Children's Services are rated good by Ofsted. Ofsted feedback on children's services - Norfolk County Council We know the job can be tough, we're realistic about the challenges and we're passionate about how we can support you to meet them so you can enjoy the rewards social work has to offer. Our social workers benefit from:
• Dedicated specialist support with your cases including living well officers, child and family therapeutic workers, domestic abuse and substance misuse workers, and children's mental health workers
• Protected time each month for learning and professional development
• Generous financial packages and rewards including relocation packages from up to £10,000 and welcome payments for experienced social workers in specific teams
• An award-winning development programme for newly-qualified or returning social workers.
Norfolk is a great place to live and work. It has beautiful countryside, six Blue Flag beaches, and bustling market towns, with the historic city of Norwich named the best place to live in the East of England by The Sunday Times. Average house prices are just under £300,000, helping you get on the property ladder.