Newly Qualified Social Worker - Children's Social Work Services

Role Responsibility

About You

Are you a Newly Qualified Social Worker who will have successfully passed your Social Work degree course and be available to start this Summer?

Along with a willingness to learn and develop as a practitioner, being a team player is essential in any Social Work team. You will build relationships with colleagues, as well as statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies.

In return for helping us achieve our aims, there is a strong commitment to supporting your professional development. As a Newly QualifiedSocial Worker we know that you want to make a difference and working at Kent County Council you will be given every support and opportunity to do so.

We offer an attractive benefits package and a commitment to ensuring that you achieve a healthy work life balance with flexible working arrangements and an emphasis on health and well-being.

A competitive starting salary, including an annual market premium payment of up to £3,000.

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, you will have a well supported AYSE programme, with regular supervision, opportunities for peer support and development.

Access to a wide range of formal and informal CPD activities underpinned by a performance appraisal scheme and career progression pathway.

An annual appraisal linking your learning and development needs.

Generous annual leave allowance.

Local Government pension scheme.

Access to smarter working / flexible working.

Relocation Package.

You will also have a range of professional development opportunities including the exciting social care academy and routes for progression. 

If you share this vision of excellent Social Work practice, we want to hear from you.

Then we are the right team at the right time and in the right place.

The Right Team

We know that if our Social Workers are going to make real change in children's lives, they need the best support, leadership and resources we can offer. We will support and guide you through the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) Programme to ensure you fulfil your potential as a developing practitioner. When you join our Children’s Social Work Service in Kent ‘you’ soon becomes ‘we’. From day one we will help you with a full induction, regular supervision and ongoing support from an outstanding team.

Our people, An integral part of re-thinking the way we work remotely is support for YOU going forward. Here you'll find the support, guidance and training available for all colleagues and managers to enable you to make flexible working work for you, your team and your service.

The Right Time

We have invested in every area of our service and that includes investing in the careers of outstanding people who share in our commitment to improving the lives of the children of Kent. 

The Right Place

We are proud of our Ofsted rating of outstanding and we are continuing to develop excellent services and ensure ‘Children are at the centre of Kent County Council’s culture and practice’ (Ofsted 2022.) As one of the largest Children’s Social Work Service in the country we can make sure in your first year of post qualifying you will have a protected caseload. We also offer a comprehensive learning and development framework in Kent. And because one size doesn’t fit all, we offer opportunities that can be tailored to individual and team needs.

We can offer you a competitive salary, staff benefits package and excellent career development and training that comes from working for an authority as large as Kent. Following satisfactory completion of your probation, a years’ service in the role and after demonstrating your ability to manage a full caseload, a £3,000 annual market premium will be payable. You are also entitled to a £2,000 annual car market premium (subject to eligibility).

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wide operational area including travelling around the county of Kent and beyond to transport children and their belongings and be available to do so in an emergency. 

This role is subject to holding a Full UK Driving License – The Council is committed to making reasonable adjustments so whilst this job requires the jobholder to drive your application will still be considered if you are unable to drive due to a disability.

Please note you will be shortlisted based on your application and the answers you provide so please complete these in full. 

Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Please do not re-apply if you have been interviewed for this post in the last six months.

Interview Dates: 1st - 10th May 2024.