The starting salary for this position is £32,743.20 per annum (pro rata to £40,929 FTE) based on a 28.8 hour working week.

We currently have a vacancy for a Supervising Social Worker within the Supported Lodgings Team. The Supported Lodgings scheme offers semi-independent accommodation for 16-25 year olds who are leaving the care system but are not quite ready to live independently. We are a small, friendly and effective team; committed to providing the best service that we can. The work we do is critical as we recruit, asses and support carers who offer family based supported lodgings.

The role is based in Reigate, however will cover the whole of Surrey so you will need to be willing and able to travel throughout the County. There will also, on occasion, may be the requirement to work some evenings. The post will also assess and support Private Foster carers, support awareness campaigns and work with colleagues at the front door to support children in these arrangements.

Rewards and Benefits

• 28 days annual leave (prorated for part time staff), rising to 30 days after 5 years' service.
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

The Supported Lodgings Team sits in the Fostering Service within Surrey Childrens Services and comprises of seven team members. Our aim is to ensure that young people aged 16-25 are supported in family style semi-independent accommodation to help them prepare for independent living. This ensures that they are able to develop the skills and confidence they need alongside being able to make use of the resources available to Surrey Residents.

As an employer Surrey offers a comprehensive training package with a focus on career progression and developing skills and knowledge to benefit colleagues and residents alike.

About the Role

Our Supported Lodgings Service is a well established, well regarded team that support foster carers, supported lodgings carers and leads on support, assessment and awareness for Private Fostering. We are looking for an experienced social worker with good assessment, communication and report writing skills, and the motivation to achieve excellent standards in contributing to the development of our service. Ideally, you will also have experience of working with Support Lodgings carers or foster carers and have a good understanding of Private Fostering and completing a variety of assessments including Private Fostering, as well as experience supervising carers.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Experience of working with children and young people and a comprehensive knowledge of legislation relating to Looked After Children and Care Proceedings
• Ability to work directly with the wider public, Private Fostering, foster carers and young people and be able to produce clear, evidence based and analytical assessments
• Flexibility to work evenings and occasional weekends, as the role includes attending events and home visits outside office hours
• That you are a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and Social Workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 29/12/2024 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.