5 Childcare jobs in Alnwick, Northumberland

Due to retirement, an opportunity has arisen for a qualified Social Worker to join the Children's Permanence Team which is part of the Family Placement Service at Northumberland County Council. We are looking for an experienced social worker, ideally with over three years post qualifying experience in statutory social work. The Children's Permanence Team works with children who may have a plan of adoption. Involvement often begins during care proceedings when twin track planning is taking place and consideration is being given to achieving permanence for children outside of their family. Children's permanence social workers work alongside the child's allocated social worker to consider permanence options and to provide advice and support throughout the court process. There is also the opportunity to work alongside our colleagues in the locality teams and Pre-Birth Team to identify children where early permanence in a foster to adopt placement may be the most appropriate route. In most cases, if a placement order is granted for a child in court, case responsibility will transfer over to the children's permanence social worker who will be involved in family finding, introductions, completing paperwork for and attending adoption panel, and providing support to the adopters, foster carers and birth family. A key part of the role is working directly with children to support their understanding of the planning around their care and helping them prepare for a move to adoption. This is often done through storyboards and other visual means to support the age and stage of development of the child. This is an exciting role in a specialist team that combines core statutory social work tasks alongside providing advice and support around adoption. Due to the nature of some of the adoptive placements, this role may involve travelling to other regions for family finding and statutory visits, and occasionally this may include overnight stays. The Children's Permanence Team is led by a Team Manager, two Advanced Practitioners, five Social Workers and one Enquiry and Referral Coordinator.

• You will have excellent communication skills and be able to convey complex messages in a straightforward way, both verbally and in writing.
• You will not be afraid to think creatively to solve problems.
• You will be empathetic and sensitive to the needs of children, young people and families.
• You will always want to hear the young person's voice and ensure that this is taken into account.
• You will be passionate about maximising a child's life chances to improve their overall outcomes
• You will understand the importance of performance information and your contribution to maintaining high standards.
• You will have experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment
• You will be able to contribute to the development of the service.
• You will have a sound knowledge base of the Knowledge and Skills Statement for Child and Family Social Work and the application of Professional Capabilities Framework which will be embedded within all elements of your practice.
You must hold a relevant Social Work qualification such as the Social Work Degree, DipSW, CQSW or CSS and be registered with Social Work England. You should also have a minimum of one year post qualifying experience.


• A competitive salary starting at £38,626 up to £42,708 (dependent on grade and experience) with a wide range of additional benefits
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (or other pension scheme)
• A wide range of staff benefits including a competitive annual leave provision
• Regular supervision
• A supportive environment
• Career progression opportunities
• A generous remuneration package
• Induction, support and mentoring from day one in post
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements