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SalarySalary: G11 £46,464 - £51,515 per annum
Contract: Permanent, full-time
The DSCO will strategically lead in embedding the Social Care elements of the SEND strategy across Walsall local authority and ensure we are compliant with legislative requirements of the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 (2015), and that we are meeting our statutory responsibilities under the Children and Family Act (2014) and Care Act (2014).
We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, highly motivated, experienced individual, who has the appropriate skills to be part of the team. The Designated Social Care Officer will support colleagues in children’s Social Care to ensure they meet their statutory duties for children and young people with SEND aged 0-25, leading to improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
The post holder will represent Walsall Council at key regional and national events and will be a source of expert professional advice on SEND reforms relating to Social Care within Walsall and will seek to learn nationally from the evidence base of best practice.
We are looking for a social worker that:
- Is passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Has a good knowledge and understanding of both Social Care legislation and the SEND reforms.
- Is confident and competent to negotiate with and influence others, build and nurture effective partnerships, working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders across the Local Authority, community, parent and voluntary organisations and promoting opportunities for co-production.
- Is confident and can offer training, advice and guidance to staff throughout the organisation and to partner agencies as the Social Care lead.
- Is able to identify areas of the EHCP processes which require practice improvement and be able to present solutions.
If you are passionate about supporting our children and young people with SEN needs, and want to work as part of a friendly team in a OFSTED-rated Good local authority; committed to ongoing learning where you will receive good supervision and training please get in touch for an informal discussion with Zoe Morgan, Head of Service on 07775 541850.
Equality Statement
We want our staff and management teams to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve in Walsall, and in Children’s Social Care we are committed to promoting equality and anti-discriminatory practice.
We welcome applications from people of all cultures, races, ethnicities and religions, of different genders, ages, sexual orientations, disabled applicants, and recognise unique perspectives and contributions.
Working for Walsall Children’s Social Care
Walsall is a great place to work. We strive to provide the best services and outcomes for our children, young people and families, and this has just been recognised by Ofsted who have graded us as GOOD!
We have significantly improved our workforce stability, and we would like you to join our increasingly settled, permanent staff group. To be able to support children and young people and keep them safe, workers need to feel safe and supported. We have just launched a new Workforce and Wellbeing Strategy to put wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. As part of this we are trialling clinical supervision for our Social Workers and Team Managers in partnership with The Child Psychology Service, as part of an enhanced wellbeing programme for all staff.
We have a comprehensive career development offer including specialist training.
We offer flexible working, with a hybrid approach of home working and office based working to maintain our team support and culture.
This is a great time to join us - get in touch to find out more.
Read our full Inspection Report and feedback here: Ofsted | Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
A full UK driving licence is required for this role.
Important note: When completing your online application form, you will be asked to enter supporting information. You must enter a detailed supporting information statement describing how your skills, abilities and experience meet the specific criteria included in the employee specification. If you do not include a supporting information statement, you will not be shortlisted. Please do not add a CV as we do not accept them. Please see our Information for Applicants leaflet for further information.
View Job Description and Employee Specification
Closing date: 28 th February 2024
Walsall Council takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children and young people entrusted to our care and it is our expectation that all staff will share this commitment. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children and young people. Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas.
This post is covered by the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.
For further reasons to join us, please visit: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/employee-benefits.
