Job Description

As a Social Worker working in the Birth to Settled Adulthood team, you will benefit from a strong supportive team culture centred around shared learning and reflective practice. You will be working in a new service where we aim to improve the way we support children and young people with complex needs or who are disabled as they grow into adults. We work with children and young people from birth to 25 years of age to ensure that our young people can progress smoothly at key stages of development in their life, so that by the age of 25 every young person eligible for support from the service will experience a smooth transition into adult services.

You will join a friendly, dedicated, talented and passionate team of social workers, family workers, students and apprentices who value getting things right for children and who use a strengths based restorative approach. Their passion and commitment to children and families is reflected in the performance data which is consistently good. Supervision is a priority, giving considerable focus and attention to ensuring the wellbeing of colleagues while remaining focused on achieving positive outcomes for our children and their family.

What you will be doing:

You will be working with Disabled Children with severe and complex needs including Autism Spectrum conditions. Dorset Council sets out a threshold statement about the eligibility criteria for children and young people who are eligible to receive a service.



The team undertake Child and Family assessments of disabled children and their families, and includes:


Work with families to address safeguarding concerns Work with Children in Care.

Where a child's assessment identifies a need for additional support to enhance wellbeing and functioning, relating to needs arising from a disability, then ongoing support to meet this need can be provided either through child in need planning which may include short breaks out of the home or at lower level through direct payments.



Included in the team is a Direct Payment and Family Help Services, comprising of Family Workers and a Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service. Both of whom are available to support children who have eligible needs but not necessarily require a Social Worker. You will be joining a stable service, where we have a culture of learning and sharing knowledge.



Much of our work is multi- disciplinary and requires a coordinated response between services. So this might be with Health, Children and Young People's Continuing Health Care, SEN Case Workers, Specialist Schools, and other clinical and therapeutic practitioners. We also work closely with our colleagues in Adult Services to ensure young people are supported to transition successfully into adulthood.

About you:

You must have a Social Work qualification, be registered with Social Work England, and able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post.


The post is based in the North Dorset area, with our office base in Dorchester. Flexible working arrangements can be considered subject to the needs of the service. In person attendance to team and service meetings as well as other meetings as part of the statutory role is expected.




For further information or to discuss the role, contact Claire Western, Team Manager North B2SA:
Claire.Western@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk



This role is full time at 37 hours.



This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.



This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.



See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.



See the children's social worker framework.



You must:


have a degree in social work/Occupational Therapy or equivalent be able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post have the right to work in the UK

Friends and Family Referral Scheme

The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you mention them when asked on your application form. They'll give you all the information you need.



Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title.

Relocation expenses package

A generous relocation package is payable, of which up to 8,000 (of HMRC eligible elements) are free of tax. We can offer you help to move whether you are looking to buy or rent, depending on your circumstances.



Our package includes:


an initial advance of up to 2,500 payable when you start help towards fees associated with buying/selling (up to 6,500) an option to receive help towards your rent or mortgage in the first two

Friends & Family Referral Scheme

The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you, please make sure to mention them when applying.



Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title.