Social Worker - DGA10747

Advert

Social Worker (13/504)

Dumfries and Galloway - base Newton Stewart, or Stranraer office

£39,813 - £42,687

Dumfries & Galloway’s Fostering and Adoption Service has a unique opening for a social worker to join the team.  The position is permanent and fulltime (36 hours per week).  You would be joining an established region-wide team who provide a comprehensive service to foster and adoptive carers, from initial enquiry, through to approval and thereafter providing a high level of ongoing support and training, to ensure children and young people receive the best possible care.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team, and we are looking to appoint a social worker to cover the West of the region. As a Supervising Social Worker, you will participate in the recruitment, assessment, and supervising of foster carers, adoptive carers, and their families, and offer support, advice, and guidance to kinship carers (when required).  You will also be expected to partake in the delivery of the pre-approval course and facilitate training and support groups for our carers, as and when required.   This may entail working evenings and weekends however this will always be on a planned basis.

The ideal candidate will be a proactive team player with excellent communication skills and the ability to work flexibly, and independently.  You must have a good working knowledge of child protection procedures, legislation, and regulations in relation to looked after children, and fostering and adoption.  A good working knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing looked after children, their birth parents, foster carers, and adopters is key, as well as excellent report writing and assessment skills.  Experience of assessing prospective adopters and/or foster carers would be advantageous. 

If you are enthusiastic, motivated, and committed to supporting carers to provide exceptional care to looked after children and young people, and can manage the challenges this can pose, we would love to hear from you.

We can offer you a commitment to your own learning and professional development, and ensure regular reflective one-to-one supervision, group supervision and Team Meetings are held.

A current driving licence is an essential requirement of this post. However, if you have a disability which precludes you from holding a driving licence consideration will be given if alternative transport can be arranged.

Advert cont...

This post is considered as Regulated Work with Vulnerable Children and Protected Adults, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.  From 28 February 2011, preferred candidates will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG scheme update check prior to formal offer of employment being made by Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Applicants who have been resident outside the UK within the last 5 years, if offered a position, in addition to a Disclosure Scotland Check, will be required to provide a completed police record check from the police authority in the country or countries in which they were resident.

A DipSW/CQSW/CSS qualification or equivalent is essential as is registration with the Scottish Social Services Council.

For further information please contact Joyce Sweetin, Senior Social Worker , or Caroline Spencer, Senior Social Worker