Reunification Practitioner
Details
- Reference: SCC/TP/287946/1680
- Positions: 2
- Salary: £32,512 - £34,654 per annum
- Category: Care - Children and Young People
- Contract type: Permanent
- Working hours: 36 hours per week
- Posted on: 15 August 2024
- Closing date: 3 September 2024
- Directorate: Children, Families & Lifelong Learning
- Location: Woking, Surrey
Description
The starting salary for this position is £32,512 per annum based on a 36 hour working week (full-time), pro-rata for part-time hours.
We are excited to be hiring two new Reunification Practitioners to join our fantastic Reunification Support Service (part of the Children Looked After Services) based in Woking. These are permanent roles but could also be considered as a 12 month secondment opportunity if desired.
We currently have two opportunities available:
- 1 x permanent, full-time (36 hours per week) position. Starting salary: £32,512 per annum
- 1 x permanent, part-time (18 hours per week) position. Starting salary: £16,256 per annum
Rewards and Benefits
- 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 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
At Surrey, we care that children have long lasting and positive relationships with their birth families. As such, we created the Reunification Support Service in 2022 which sees a small dedicated team of 4 Practitioners work alongside our Children Looked After Services to assess and support children to return home, where safe to do so. The Reunification Support Service recently became permanent in May 2024 due to the success of its work in reunifying children to their birth families. By joining us as a Reunification Practitioner, you will have the opportunity to be part of the team's on-going success.
About the Role
As a Reunification Practitioner your role will play a crucial part of our ambitious project to support Children Looked After to return to their families when it is safe for them to do so. The role aims to ensure early identification of children and young people who may be able to return home, completing personalised interventions for families such as targeted work to improve parenting, and supervising/observing family time, to support effective reunification. You will contribute to safety planning alongside the allocated Social Worker and support parents and children through the reunification process, which tends to last 3-6 months. You will have the support, experience and oversight of a Social Work Team Manager.
While the role is based in Woking, the children being supported within the team may live elsewhere in Surrey or may reside outside of the area. Visits to work with children and families will be held at the best location for the child and their family and therefore you will need a willingness to work flexibly and have the ability to travel to meet the demands of this role.
Shortlisting Criteria
To be considered for shortlisting for this position your application will clearly evidence:
- Experience of working within Children Looked After or other areas of children's services
- An ability to work directly with children and families
- Understanding of relevant legislation affecting working with children, including the Children Act (1989)
- and the Children and Families Act 2014
- A commitment to working with children to improve the quality of their lives
Surrey has both urban and rural areas so you will need 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.
Contact Us
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. For an informal discussion please contact Nicola Adesuji by e-mail at nicola.adesuji@surreycc.gov.uk
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 3rd September 2024 with interviews to follow.
We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.
Our Values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also attached provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications 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.
