Social Work Trainee (Apprentice)

Childrens Social Care Trainee (Apprentice)

About the role

Gateshead Council would like to offer you an opportunity to complete your Childrens Social Care Trainee (Apprentice) within our innovative and supportive Academy which commences in September 2024.

As a Childrens Social Care Trainee (Apprentice) in Gateshead you will access a range of development opportunities within our Childrens Social Care Academy who will provide a learning culture where you will develop your range of skills and experiences. You will receive high levels of supervision and support from the Academy; this will include the Academy Team Manager and Consultant Social Worker as well as allocation to your own Apprenticeship Mentor.

During your Apprenticeship you will acquire the skills, experience, and knowledge required to be a Social Worker through work-based learning, guidance and support from a line manager, and completion of a level 6 Social Work qualification.

The Academy team will be where you start your Apprenticeship journey during which time you will work across all areas of Childrens Social Care, including supporting our Social Work teams, undertaking family support and family time, and working within our residential settings, whilst continually being supported through the Academy model.

You will be appointed on a permanent contract and subject to your successful completion of your Apprenticeship you will be offered a post of Newly Qualified Social Worker and placed upon our Assisted Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme. Following your successful completion of your ASYE you will be offered a Children & Families Social Worker Practitioner permanent contract and will be matched against a vacancy within one of the following teams; Assessment and Intervention, Safeguarding and Care Planning, Children in our Care, Children with Disabilities, Contextual Safeguarding, Fostering or Kinship Care.

In order to be considered for this opportunity, you must meet the following essential criteria which is a requirement of the Apprenticeship programme:

• Level 2 English and Maths qualifications to Grade 4 or grade C GCSE
• 120 UCAS points
• Achieved, or willing to work towards, a NVQ Level 3 qualification (or equivalent) in a family support related discipline – early years, youth work, youth justice, Social Work, housing support, etc.

During the selection process candidates will be assessed against all other essential criteria as set out in the job profile.

About the team

The Academy continues to build upon its well-respected and highly valued programmes, and has received positive feedback during our last Ofsted inspection, in which we received a Good rating; however we have a clear and focused ambition to be Outstanding.

We are actively developing our Social Care Academy and you have the opportunity to be part of this during an exciting time for Gateshead and the Academy model.

Gateshead children’s teams and foster carers were recognised for their outstanding achievements at this year’s National Children and Young People Awards with our Social Care Academy being highly commended in the Biggest Impact Award category. The success of the academy is attributed to colleagues’ unwavering commitment, embodiment of Social Work values and championing of the importance of relationships.

About Gateshead council

At Gateshead our vision is that all children and families, regardless of their background, are at the heart of everything we do – ensuring all children can thrive and meet their full potential. This is supported by our desire to be the employer of choice amongst those who are considering Childrens Social Care as a career pathway. We want our Apprentices to become excellent Social Work practitioners who can build strong and trusting relationships with children and their families to achieve positive outcomes for the children and families of Gateshead.

By pursuing your career with Gateshead, we can guarantee you will have:

• A senior leadership team that listens and care about you and your work
• Your base in the same building as all Social Work teams, allowing support not just from your allocated team but all services.
• Hybrid working – both working from the office base and home working
• A culture which takes pride in and actively celebrates Social Work.
• Excellent opportunities for career progression, whether you are a newly qualified Social Worker completing your assessment and supported year in employment with the support of our Social Work Academy, or a more experienced Social Worker looking to broaden your experience in order to step into management.
• A protected time employee induction scheme.

Also as an employee of Gateshead Council you will benefit from:

• Excellent training and development opportunities including talent management
• Great transport links with the use of reliable and frequent public transport and have access to a discounted Annual Pass. You will also have use of Co-wheel pool cars and access to the Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme
• A generous annual leave package of 28 days, increasing to 30 days following 5 years’ service. You will also have the opportunity to purchase up to 10 days extra leave via our Annual Leave Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
• Access to the flexi scheme
• Being a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Eligibility to access a range of other staff offers and discounts via our employee discount portal.

During the selection process candidates will be assessed against the essential criteria as set out in the job profile.

For further information regarding what Gateshead can offer you please log onto Careers in children's Social Work - Gateshead Council

If you would like to have an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Zoe Hovells, Academy Team Manager at ASYEacademy@gateshead.gov.uk with any questions or to arrange a time for a conversation.

If you are interested in applying for the role, you must be available for the dates of selection:

• 6 June (am) – written test set by University.
• 13th & 14th June - Group discussions & interviews to take place on
• w/c 17 June – completion of University application form

University course to commence September 2024

If successful you will be required to apply for an enhanced Disclosure. You will also be asked to provide your final Placement report from your Practice Educator to help shape your professional development plan.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills and experiences. We actively encourage BAME and disabled applicants and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams and the community we serve. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion within our workforce and all opportunities provided by the council. As an Apprenticeship programme, we are actively developing our diversity and inclusion awareness and offer.
Online applications only at www.gateshead.gov.uk