Social Worker - Adult Services

In Hackney, our vision is building on strengths and making connections. This isn’t just about our practice with residents, but about our staff. We believe that our relationships with each other and our colleagues makes working here different, constantly seeking to build our personal and professional strengths and to find that role that challenges and excites. Where it is easy to remember what ignited our desire to become social workers in the first place.

We are clear in our value of work life balance, with manageable caseloads and flexible working. Our sites in different locations and expansion planned with health colleagues means touchdown points that enable you to connect with residents, while being part of the buzz that is Hackney. Importantly, our development offer is different. Development is not just about a training course, it is the range of mentoring, shadowing, and opportunities to try new things and challenge yourself. It is an offer that helps you reach your full potential, with career pathways that are possible.

Are you a qualified Social Worker who’s passionate about helping people achieve the very best outcomes? Do you have experience working within Adult Services and want to take the next step in your professional development? If so, Hackney needs your skills and expertise to make a positive impact on the lives of people who live, work, and grow here.

Newly Qualified Social workers are encouraged to apply.

Hackney’s Adult Social Care Social Worker role provides an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to undertake their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) within our adult service which is committed to providing high quality support, assessment and intervention with the residents, carers, and families we work with. Hackney provides wide-ranging and excellent training and development opportunities; we will help you to develop excellent social work practice, leading to career advancement at your own pace.

Newly qualified social workers will enter at grade PO1 and will undertake all work with support, close supervision and guidance and will have a reduced caseload.

Upon successful completion of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme, Social Workers will automatically move to PO2 payscale.

Hackney is one of London’s most vibrant and diverse boroughs. It’s one of the most sought-after areas to live in London with good schools, parks, and local amenities, as well as great transport links and vibrant and diverse communities.

We offer a great place to work with a working environment which is stimulating, creative, fast moving, and supportive. Staff can access a range of benefits including:

An outstanding range of local support services supporting you to make a difference for vulnerable adults, carers, and their families

The opportunity to build/shape your career in social work through our excellent training offer to staff including Mentoring and Coaching programmes, an Advanced Study Programme, our trauma informed and strengths-based training offer, our online training and development hub and annual Hackney Stars awards

• Financial support for staff through our Tenancy deposit loan scheme, low-cost loans, early access to pay and Childcare vouchers
• An excellent location with the ability to travel easily and cycle around the borough, accessing our Cycle to Work scheme
• Flexible working options including working remotely, buying annual leave scheme and flexible working
• Staff discount scheme (vectis card and local discounts across the borough including gyms, theatres, and restaurants)
• An outstanding focus on Health and Wellbeing including discounted gym membership, eye tests, Employee Assistance Programme and a range of carer and family friendly leave options.

As a Social Worker for Hackney Adult Social Care, you will be able to access an outstanding range of local support services, supporting you to make a real difference for the residents, carers, and families you work with. You will be working at the forefront of best practice in a social work unit led by a Senior Practitioner and with support from the newly created Practice Innovation and Workforce Capability Team who will be supporting your training and development needs. We will help you to develop your skills within social work practice, leading to career advancement at your own pace.

We have social worker vacancies in the following teams:

We are looking to recruit experienced Social Workers to work in the Access and Duty Team of Adult Social Care. The ideal candidate would have experience of working in fast paced teams and able to make decisions quickly and confidently. An understanding of the challenges of working with vulnerable adults who may not have had any experience working with Adult Social Care and are reluctant to engage with formal services. An ability to quickly develop and complete any necessary assessments and support plans to facilitate care is crucial. Once issues are resolved by Access and Duty; we require a fast turnaround.

The Access and Duty Team (alongside Hackney Contact Centre) are essentially the front-door service to adult social care (ASC) and are responsible for screening referrals, redirecting cases where appropriate and undertaking an initial assessment for new referrals into ASC. The team can arrange immediate services where an urgent need has been identified. This might include a package of care, alongside onward referrals to services such as specialist deep cleans or TECH enabled equipment.

The team responds to crisis situations for residents who are already known to adult social care and receiving services. This however excludes referrals that require a safeguarding or out of hours response, or if the person is admitted into hospital, we have other teams who are responsible for these roles.

Assessments are completed through a combination of telephone calls or online meetings and face to face assessment. This may include referrals where there are concerns around a person’s mental capacity (decision making ability), or serious concerns about their well-being such as hoarding or self-neglect.

An enhanced DBS check is required.

Candidates must hold a Social Work England recognised social work qualification or equivalent, be Social Work England registered and have evidence of continuing professional development.

You should also be committed to continuous professional development and be willing to contribute to the development of the service and the wider council through your practice. You should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, be able to manage your own workload, and have a flexible approach to working.

The recruitment process is anonymous. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CVs.

When applying, there will be a number of questions relating to the post on the application form. It is essential that you complete the application questions, responding to each using examples of your skills, knowledge, and experience.

We will not accept applications where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to assist with completing the competency questions or any part of the application form.

This application process replaces a supporting statement.

Closing date for applications: 16 July 2024 (22.59).

Interview date: 31 July & 01 August 2024.

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included, and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently underrepresented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk

Location: London Fields, GB

Posted Date: 7/3/2024