Social Worker (Children's Services) - Adoption & Kinship Team

Vacancy Information

East Lothian Council will place newly appointed Children’s Services social workers at point 3 of the Grade 9 salary scale (£39,199) and are happy to discuss a higher placement depending on experience.

Hourly rate of pay: £20.41 - £22.74

Days and hours of work:
Monday - Friday, 09:00-17:00
Days of working are negotiable, starting and finishing times are flexible, and flexi time is applicable.
To start 6th May 2024.

In the past decade, there has been significant growth in the numbers of kinship carers putting themselves forward to care for children who are looked after by East Lothian Council. In line with The Promise (Independent Care Review, 2020) East Lothian Council believes that services should be child and family-centred; families and kinship carers should be the first choice when children cannot live with birth parents, and practitioners should be safeguarding children while working alongside their families, earlier and for as long as they need it. East Lothian Council also recognises that kinship carers will require additional support when caring for children who have experienced trauma through the period they are caring for them and beyond. We aim to achieve better outcomes for children by investing in kinship care placements, kinship support and establishing meaningful relationships with their birth families as early as possible. The continued growth in kinship care is positive, and it is an acceptance that a child being placed with their birth family provides ‘better’ long-term outcomes, promotes their identity and provides them with a sense that they belong.

We require a social worker who understands kinship care and can work with kinship families. Candidates should be able to think imaginatively and work under pressure whilst managing complex and competing demands.

East Lothian Children’s Services are keen to recruit workers who are passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for children, young people and their families. We are committed to promoting an open and trusting culture at all levels of the organisation and prioritise continuous professional development and learning. Our staff are our greatest asset and we strive to be supportive, inclusive and child centred by prioritising effective supervision, manageable caseloads and a healthy work life balance. Our vision is to support children and young people to live and learn in East Lothian and our staff are involved in developing services and implementing improvement activity around this goal. We have an accessible, on site senior management team who are committed to recruiting the best people to compliment the wide range of knowledge and experience that exists throughout the service.

If you wish to discuss this job vacancy or working for Children’s Services in East Lothian Council, please feel free to contact the recruitment manager Robyn Elliot - 07929836873

Home/ Hybrid Working Consideration
Applications for homeworking or hybrid working will be considered for this post, subject to a trial period and in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found here. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview. All applicants must live in the UK and will be expected to attend Council offices from time to time as required.

Job Details

To provide an effective service to service users and their families/carers, promoting a high standard of practice, in accordance with statutory obligations, policies and procedures.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours. Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Education/Qualifications
Essential: Approved qualification in Social Work, and SSSC registration. Those with international Social Work qualifications should not apply unless they are fully registered with the SSSC.

Driving Licence
Full current driving licence and access to a vehicle*
(*Where a disability precludes you from obtaining a driving licence, ELC will take into account its responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to allow for your disability).

PVG/Disclosure Requirements
This post is considered as Regulated Work with vulnerable children and/or protected adults, as specified in the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

All preferred candidates for posts carrying out regulated work with these groups will be required to become a PVG Scheme member, or undergo a PVG Scheme update if they are already a member, prior to any formal offer of employment being made by East Lothian Council.

Please note: PVG member’s records are constantly updated with any new vetting information that arises. Any information that is disclosed on a PVG membership or update check, if relevant to the post being applied for, will be discussed with the applicant and investigated prior to any formal offer being made.

Please note:
If you have spent more than 3 months working or living outwith the UK in the last 5 years then you will be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UKwebsite.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form.