Newly Qualified Social Worker – Adult Social Care

Medway Council are recruiting newly qualified social workers (NQSW) to join Adult Social Care in 2023/2024. The successful candidates will join one of our generic teams working in the community and also supporting discharges from Medway Maritime Hospital and our shared lives team.

The ASYE programme is designed to assist NQSWs develop their skills, knowledge and capability strengthening their professional confidence. It provides them with access to regular and focused support and supervision. The programme provides a structured framework during which the NQSW works towards achieving the required level of professional competency outlined in the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) and Knowledge and Skills statements.

During the supported year Medway Council is committed to providing NQSWs with high quality guidance and development opportunities. Medway acknowledges that social work is both a rewarding and challenging profession, we are committed to providing the level of support to enable our NQSWs to develop into competent and confident practitioners.

Essential qualifications/experience -

• Social Worker England Registration
• Current enhanced DBS disclosure
• Full driving licence (valid for use in the UK) and access to a car
  • A recognised professional Social Work Qualification gained within the last 2
  • Relevant experience through final placement within a statutory Adult Services Team or prior experience of working in social care

In return we offer you:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme package
• Access to wider training and development qualifications
• Flexible working scheme
• Travel plan discounts
• Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker
• Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
• Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers

• The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
• Upon completion of your 2nd year in employment with Medway you will receive a retention payment of £2,000.
• Subscription to Community Care inform.
• Beyond the ASYE, Medway offers a programme for Continual Professional Development including accredited training courses, Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP,) Practice Education (PE) and Best interest assessor (BIA) and opportunities to ensure a high standard of CPD.

Our organisation:

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.

Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.

We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

If you would like to have an informal discussion with the recruiting manager, please e-mail adultsnqrecruitment@medway.gov.uk.

The interview process consists of three stages, each applicant must successfully pass each stage.

Please note you will be shortlisted based on your application and the answers you provide so please complete these in full.

Activity

Date

Stage 1

Applicant completes job application.

Application closed 20th April 2023

Stage 2

Applicant is required to complete recorded presentation.

Submission 28th April 2023

Stage 3

Applicant will be invited to a formal interview.

Week commencing 8th May 2023

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please phone Stephanie Byatt– ASYE Lead o 01634 337694 or email stephanie.byatt@medway.gov.uk

All Interviews are likely to be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Full details on how this will work will be sent to you, if your application is successfully shortlisted.

Important Information-

Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement

Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, family commitments, sexual orientation, age, HIV status, religious or political beliefs, social class or trade union activity or irrelevant spent conviction.

For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online

Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.

Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.

How to apply

Please be advised that we only accept online applications submitted through JobsGoPublic ATS

If you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.

All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email, if you require documentation/correspondence in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Resourcing Team on 01634 332878.