Bexley is a diverse borough full of opportunities to make a real difference. We have a stable and dedicated leadership team who are committed to providing exceptional children’s services for all our residents. We’re only the second local authority in the country to have achieved two successive findings of Outstanding under the current Ofsted framework. Whilst we’re immensely proud of this achievement, we have a relentless focus on improving outcomes and life chances for our children and young people.
Our Borough is not without its challenges. As a service we have a renewed focus on tackling some particularly complex challenges children face and managing our budgets in the most efficient and impactful way possible for our children and young people. We’re home to a global population, made up of many different cultures, heritages and languages. It’s a complex, sometimes challenging, but always a rewarding place to work.
This is a crucial appointment within our Children’s service. As a qualified social worker, you’ll play a leading role in shaping our front door services, driving up both quality and efficiency. A strong team player, you’ll be skilled at partnership working, both internally with colleagues and elected members, as well as with our key partners. We’re seeking a leader who is strong on practice and has a track record of reducing pressure on statutory services. You’ll embrace innovation and be passionate about placing the child at the centre of everything you do.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high performing service in an authority with national links and influence, whilst making your own mark. And, most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to empower our children, young people and their families and change lives.
To find out more and to apply, visit www.MakingBexleyEvenBetter.co.uk or, for a confidential conversation, call Chris Barrow (07437 839048), Zarvesha Rasool (07551 392696), or Anita Denton (07725 554802) at Tile Hill.
Bexley is well connected, there are good transport links to central London, the Kent countryside and the Coast! It is the best of both worlds. Our residents and workers can benefit from the new high-speed Elizabeth Line which goes from Abbey Wood, here in Bexley and all the way to Reading, Southeast England.
We are a diverse and growing borough. By 2030 our population will be over 260,000 and almost 300,000 by 2050. Almost 25% of our population is Black and Asian Multi-Ethnic. Bexley is one of London’s greenest boroughs and has recently been awarded Public Sector Campaign of the year by Sustainable City’s prestigious annual awards.
We believe that everyone in Bexley Children’s Social Care should have the opportunity to grow and develop, in every role and at every stage of their career and offer a wide variety of social work roles, both for qualified and unqualified practitioners. Bexley Children’s Social Care offers the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in different areas of Children’s Services: we offer a comprehensive range of professional development opportunities and are committed to ensuring that Bexley is a welcoming and enjoyable place to work.
The children and families we work with, are always kept at the centre of our practice. We believe:
children should stay with their families whenever it’s in their best interests and safe to do so
where it’s not, we must act quickly through the courts to help children find a safe space
success depends on positive, respectful relationships with families and with each other
working with families is unpredictable, so we have to create a supportive environment for our teams
the most effective practice is based on ‘showing your working out’ – so that even when things don’t go to plan, the thinking behind decisions is clear and defensible
Working in social care in Bexley is endlessly rewarding. As well as helping some of the most vulnerable people in our borough, we invest in looking after you and your career.
We offer excellent benefits, from competitive salaries and generous leave to flexible working and a wealth of health and wellness programmes.
flexible working - including opportunities for hybrid working, job sharing, compressed hours, and career breaks
a comprehensive range of training and professional development opportunities including access to research, group and e-learning, coaching and group supervision for colleagues in all roles and at every stage of their career
clear career progression pathways, within a nurturing environment, which allows social work to flourish. From opportunities to undertake social work qualification; our dedicated ASYE Academy; to our Leadership Academy offering bespoke development for our aspiring and existing leaders. There are also opportunities for practitioners to be involved in university research & academic delivery with our partner universities and students.
family leave - includes maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave
mental health and physical wellbeing - including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, help to quit smoking, access to private healthcare, free eye tests and discounted leisure offers
financial wellbeing - excellent pension scheme, charitable giving options
generous annual leave - 25 to 33 days, with the option to purchase extra leave plus an extra bank holiday at Christmas
competitive pay - performance assessments with the opportunity for salary increments and transparent salary scales
transport offers - cycle to work scheme, carpooling, subsidised parking and interest-free season ticket loans
recognition - Thank you messaging to celebrate staff success and sharing of compliments received
professional and personal development - training and workshops to help you thrive and a discount on most Learning and Enterprise College Bexley courses
staff support networks - our networks support and encourage networking between staff with various events throughout the year
employee volunteering - get out of the office and help a local project blossom
MyChoice benefit scheme - your pick of perks from vouchers to car leasing
local authority discount scheme - attraction and theme park discounts and local offers in partnership with KAARP .
We work together in a modern, well-equipped, energising environment that supports team working and collaboration across the service and with partners