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Social Worker - Family Court Adviser - Private Law Team

Employer
CAFCASS
Location
London (Central), London (Greater)
Salary
£42,071-£46,403 (Inclusive of London Weighting)
Closing date
4 Apr 2019

Job Details

At Cafcass we know why you became a Social Worker. To make a difference.  We know you want to spend time on the parts of your work that really enable that to happen.  We also understand you want support to continue your professional development while having a healthy work life balance.

At Cafcass we share your ambition. Maybe that’s why when OFSTED inspected us recently they rated us "outstanding" and we have won prestigious awards such as Social Work Employer of the Year award and multiple other accolades around flexible working and health and wellbeing too.  

Our Social Workers are called Family Court Advisers. They advise the Family Court as children and families go through significant events including care proceedings, adoption and parental separation. 

In this role you will be part of our private law team supporting Greater London that is based in Bloomsbury although the technology we provide combined with the trust we place in you as a professional allows you to work flexibly in court, at home and, of course, with children and families.

Should you join us you’ll use your social work skills and experience to understand what the child needs, wants and feels. Then you will advise the Family Courts on the best course of action for the child. You’ll do this by providing confident, powerful and succinct written case analysis and make recommendations to the court.  You’ll also attend court and be an advocate for the best interests of the child, ensuring their voice is not lost.

As you can imagine our work is demanding. So to be considered for such a privileged, responsible role of being the voice of some of the most vulnerable children in England, there are a few things we're looking for from you:

  • Qualified Social Worker with at least 3 years experience
  • Registered with the HCPC as a Social Worker in England
  • Experienced at working with highly vulnerable children and families
  • An expert in safeguarding, child engagement, inter-agency working, case analysis, planning and recording.

We also think you for you to succeed and truly make a difference you should be someone who;

  • Is resilient and organised
  • Can work proportionately
  • Has strong, intuitive IT skills
  • Is an effective verbal and written communicator

 

Should you join us, not only will you receive a competitive salary but a range of other benefits which we believe collectively makes for a market-leading offer. Further information is in the attached document as is the formal job description / person specification and other relevant information.

To apply we have a simple application process and you can upload your current, up-to-date CV and a provide a short supporting statement.

We’d also like to let you know of the timescales we aiming to work to for this recruitment campaign. This will also help you know when you can expect to hear from us by.

Last date for applications:     04/04/2019
Telephone interviews:     12/04/2019 - 19/04/2019
Final interview / assessment:     W/C - 29/04/2019

 

These dates are potentially subject to change but rest assured we will be in touch as quickly as we can.

If you want to find out a bit more about us why should consider joining us visit https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/careers or to view all of our current vacancies, go to Current Cafcass Vacancies.

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We are also a Disability Confident Employer which further underlines our commitment to employ, train, retain and develop the careers of colleagues with disabilities..
 
Please be advised successful applicants will be subject to a range of pre-employment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In accordance with the DBS code of practice and our own policy, should an individual have a declared criminal offence an individual assessment will be completed. Further information on what the assessment covers can be found by viewing the Cafcass DBS policy.

Company

We are Cafcass – the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service – and we represent children in family court cases in England.

Independently advising the family courts about what is safe for children and in their best interests, we speak up for over 140,0000 children every year when the family court makes critical decisions about their futures, ensuring their needs, wishes and feelings are heard. In short, our role is to…

Image recruiter profile

If our purpose resonates with you, then if you join us you will work alongside like-minded people in a diverse, inclusive and supportive organisation. You will also have opportunities to develop, whatever team you join, wherever you are in the country and at whatever stage you are at in your career.

We represent children and families from diverse backgrounds and our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is integral to our work. It’s central to the values of our organisation; not only do we understand the needs of the children and families we work with, but we’re open to all who wish to grow a career with us.

Whether you join us in one of our social work roles that work directly with children and families or our corporate and business services teams who provide technology, support and expertise, you will have the chance to make a difference for children and families.

Family Court Advisers

Our Family Court Advisers (FCAs) – which is what we call our Social Workers - may be asked by the court to work with families and then advise the court on what we consider to be the best interests of the children involved in three main areas:

•    divorce and separation, sometimes called ‘private law’, where parents or carers cannot agree on arrangements for their children;
•    care proceedings, sometimes called ‘public law’, where social services have serious concerns about the safety or welfare of a child; and
•    adoption, which can be either public or private law.

 

Be their voice Banner

How we support and reward

In addition to one-to-one and group supervision, you will have access to a range of practice resources, including the Cafcass Library, National Psychology Service, Practice Experts and our Emerging Talent Programme.

We also ensure you have outstanding technology, including modern touchscreen laptops, an iPhone and our excellent case management system, ChildFirst, along with first class support teams, including in-house IT Trainers.

We also know you want to be rewarded appropriately. You want time away from work to manage your wellbeing, spend time with those important to you, help to secure your financial present and future and be trusted to work creatively, using your professional judgement.  You also want opportunities for professional development, alongside the support and supervision you need to practice safely.

Some of the benefits we offer include:

•    28 days holiday (including three for Christmas) rising to 33 days with five years continuous service, which could include your current employment. You can also buy more holiday or sell any you do not need.
•    Flexible working, including nine-day fortnights.
•    19.4% employer contribution to Local Government Pension scheme, potentially building on your current pension.
•    Health and Wellbeing cash plan with your basic premium paid for, which can be upgraded to include family members.
•    Social Work England membership fees reimbursed.
•    Car leasing schemes


Wellbeing

Everyone at Cafcass has four dedicated, additional days per year where they are encouraged to spend time focusing on their health and wellbeing. This is part of a holistic approach with the goal of supporting everyone who works at Cafcass to maximise their capabilities to make lasting and positive differences to the lives of the children and families with whom they work.

Led by our in-house Health and Wellbeing team, we also offer support that benefits physical, mental and financial health. Our team can also offer support and guidance when it comes to specific health conditions, such as neuro-diverse conditions, cancer and the menopause.

Our team is strengthened by the availability of an external Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) which provides a free confidential support service 24 hours a day. This means access to clinical and professional expertise which gives you a chance to talk about all kinds of work and personal issues.

We are especially proud that over 125 colleagues across the organisation have completed training and receive ongoing support to act as Health and Wellbeing Champions for their teams. Furthermore, we have nearly 100 people that have been trained to act as Mental Health Allies.

This video also gives you a bit more insight into our Health and Wellbeing offer.

Read our Employer Zone Article here.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/07/05/podcast-putting-children-and-young-people-at-the-forefront-of-practice-ezc-p/

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/03/07/neurodivergence-as-a-social-worker-its-not-just-supported-and-accepted-its-celebrated-ezc/

 

 

 

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