It's an exciting time to join Merton's Children with disabilities Team. As an outstanding authority Ofsted recognised:
“Excellent Services are delivered by skilled, experienced social workers and other frontline practitioners to provide sensitive and innovative child centred interventions. Staff in Children’s services are making a positive difference to enrich the daily lived experiences of children while making them safer”.
We are looking for an experienced social worker to join our Children with Disabilities Team. We use relationship-based practice to create impact and bring about sustainable change for children, young people and their families where need is identified. As a learning organisation we are determined to continuously improve our services by working in partnership to ensure that our work is high quality and effective.
Merton takes pride in being an inclusive and diverse borough. As an experienced social worker, you will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with children and their family network to ensure children are safe and receive the support they need at the right time. We are committed to ensuring that Social Workers have a manageable workload to enable them to deliver best practice and ensure our service to children and families is of high quality and effective.
In return you will receive excellent support through reflective supervision and an enhanced training offer that supports our practice model including, systemic practice, Signs of Safety, motivational interviewing, restorative and trauma informed practice.
We are looking for a skilled social worker who is committed to keeping children with disabilities at the heart of outstanding social work practice. Our focus is to build innovation in how we support some of our most vulnerable children, working with our strong education and health partnership to do so. You will hold a mixed caseload of children and young people with a range of disability needs, in this uniquely rewarding role, and will join a group of experienced practitioners in the Children with Disabilities Team.
Your foundation of practice will include a range of knowledge and frameworks, including Children in Need, children subject to Child Protection Plans, Children in Care and those where Care Proceedings have been initiated. Partnership working with children and their families is essential to promoting holistic practice, and multi-agency involvement leads to the best outcomes.
You will have key knowledge in the area of Special Education Needs and Disability, with a willingness to develop your expertise as you progress in your role.
If you would like to have an informal discussion about these posts, please contact Jyoti Pamnani (Jyoti.Pamnani@merton.gov.uk) or Kay Dove (kay.dove@merton.co.uk)
Merton is an outer borough in southwest London. Suburban in character, the borough has three main town centres: Wimbledon, Mitcham, and Morden. We want our to be a great place for every child to grow up in order to give them the best start in life. To do this, we need the best social work talent working with us. We offer our children's social workers:
A social work role in a children’s services department rated OUTSTANDING by Ofsted
A staffing structure that provides clear career progression pathways and opportunities.
A varied and interesting case load, working with children and families from our diverse population
Access to an established an academy that supports students and newly qualified staff.
A peaceful, suburban environment, that remains connected to the inner city due to our fantastic transport links
Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
Flexible working
Generous leave entitlement
Parental leave and shared parental leave schemes
A career break scheme
Employee assistance programme - 24/7 access for you and your family to expert advice and guidance on major life events
Lunchtime Pilates classes
Discounted membership to our leisure centres
Quit smoking clinics
Annual health care days which include blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and height checks, and a range of complementary therapies
Employee discount scheme on a range of leisure activities including: days out, magazine subscriptions, hair and beauty treatments, courses at Merton Adult Education, entertainment events, and discounts at local restaurants.
Interest-free season ticket loan for public transport
Assisted car purchase scheme
Childcare vouchers
Cycle to work scheme
If you like the sound of working in Merton, or want to know more about a specific role, please do not hesitate to contact emanuel.iliescu@merton.gov.uk