About the Job
“I love working for A&I West, it is an inclusive working environment with great support from management and the wider team. I have been given the opportunity to progress my career professionally and have been extensively supported with my own personal circumstances. It is a very rewarding role, and I would highly recommend joining A&I West”. Samantha - Social Worker
Salary: £44,844 - £57,775 (market supplements included)
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full time (37 hours per week), Hybrid Working
Location: County Hall, Chichester
Join our Assessment and Intervention team as a Social Worker or Advanced Social Worker, where you will be involved in delivering impactful, relationship-based interventions that contribute to improved outcomes for our children and their families.
We are looking for passionate, motivated, and resilient social workers who are excited by a new way of delivering support to children and families to enable lasting change. You will have excellent specialist knowledge of social work practice and expertise to take the lead in complex situations, with the support of our fantastic small practice teams. You will work within a positive, nurturing environment where successes are celebrated and individuals within the team are supported to grow and develop.
Our Assessment and Intervention service is a fast paced, busy and supportive duty team completing child and family assessments, Section 47 enquiries, Child Protection and Child in Need work whilst planning for permanence from day one. Assessment and Intervention is at the forefront of continuing to produce the best outcomes for children and ensure they are safe, and their voice is heard within all the work we do. We ensure strong local links with our Early Help colleagues to promote local community support for children and families when social care no longer needs to be involved.
How We Support You
We offer small practice teams of Social Workers managed by a Team Manager and supported by Child & Family Workers as well as additional flexible administrative support from Coordinators embedded within the service.
We provide regular group supervision and peer learning alongside specialist roles within the team to focus on the most vulnerable children. As a Social Worker, you’ll have a minimum of 5 CPD and training days per year with access to excellent learning and development provisions such as Research in Practice and Community Care Inform, and Social Work England fees paid.
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including:
- an excellent local government pension scheme
- generous holiday entitlement of up to 29 days (plus opportunity to buy additional leave)
- a range of flexible working options, depending on your job role
- maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
- volunteering opportunities
- training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
- a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform (see our Staff discounts page if you are a business looking to offer a discount)
- health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash Plans
For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.
About You
You will bring strong theoretical knowledge of Social Work concepts and practices, including attachment, child development and the impact of developmental trauma, alongside a detailed understanding of how professional Social Work services operate in complex situations. You will be confident in applying therapeutic approaches such as solution‑focused and systemic interventions, as well as evidence‑based programmes, and you will have an excellent grasp of the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies. You will also be able to chair a wide range of meetings with confidence and professionalism.
You will be able to:
- Analyse and interpret complex information and data, being able to prioritise needs and devise plans for intervention and provision.
- Proactively work as a member of the team
- Develop strong relationships, working alongside carers, colleagues and external agencies to deliver an effective service.
- Communicate clearly and effectively in both written and oral format, including the ability to explain complicated information to a variety of people and use negotiation and persuasion skills to encourage others to adopt a course of action they may not wish to take.
- Recognise limits of own accountability and responsibility and seek appropriate support and advice when needed.
You will need:
- A recognised Social Work qualification e.g. Degree in Social Work, Post Graduate Certificate in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent as recognised by the relevant professional body.
- Completion of relevant post qualifying training.
- Evidence of at least two years experience post qualification working in the UK within front line operational practice.
- Registration with the relevant professional registration body and maintaining registration with that body.
- You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes available.
For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.
About Us
Here at West Sussex County Council, we are ambitious for our children and our workforce. We are committed to improving our services for the children and families in West Sussex we support. You will join us as at a key time on our improvement journey. That’s why we need professionals, like you, who really want to be part of the positive change that is happening for children. Be part of an ambitious improvement plan and make a significant difference to children and families in West Sussex. There has never been a more rewarding time to join.
For further information about us and about working in Children’s Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit Careers in children's social work in West Sussex.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE05840.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Sarah Smith at [email protected]. For any issues or queries regarding the application process please contact Kerry Joad at [email protected].
To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and complete our application form. In your application form please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.
Job Reference: CAFHE05840
