Adoption Social Worker (Ref: 2023_267)

We know that the Isle of Wight is a great place to be a great social worker and an amazing place to live. We continue to invest more into our service and our staff. We know money is not the reason why you have become a social worker; it is your passion and commitment to make a positive difference to the lives of children that motivates you. However, with the rise in the cost of living, renting and affordability of buying a new home, earning a good salary for the work that you undertake is important. We also offer a relocation package of up to £8,000 to help with moving to the Isle of Wight and we have increased our annual leave entitlement to 32 days a year.

You will benefit from five extra days to take during the year to spend time on your own professional development and work a nine-day fortnight which means you get up to an additional 26 days’ time off in lieu a year. Plenty of time to achieve that work/life balance to make the most of everything the Isle of Wight has to offer.

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You will have a state-of-the-art laptop, SMART phone, and an online Social Work toolkit plus we are implementing a brand-new ICS system. We have appointed two new Family Practitioners to each of our child assessment and safeguarding teams to work with child in need families under the supervision of social workers. You will have a social worker personal assistant to help with your administration and organise your diaries, visits, and recording. Our Resilience Around the Families Team is a dedicated resource for you to draw upon when working with families. We have adult mental health professionals, adult substance misuse professionals, child mental health specialists, a team of trained volunteers, access to a range of early help support services including, parenting and domestic abuse interventions.

We have a really positive, supportive culture and working environment. Even our agency workers don’t want to leave and if they do, they ask to come back as they have said the Isle of Wight is the best children’s social care service, they have worked in. We work to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Approach which is a strengths-based, multi-disciplinary way of working, focussed on building resilience in individuals, families, and communities, whilst managing risk and safeguarding children.

We continue to be in our successful partnership with Hampshire County Council who are rated as outstanding by Ofsted across all areas, with their Director of Children’s Services our DCS too.

Ofsted have rated us as a GOOD children's social care across all areas following our inspection published in 2019.

Ofsted found that:

'Children's lived experience is at the centre of social work practice on the Island.'

'Aspirational and highly competent leaders have a clear and shared vision for children's services.'

Our focussed visit in 2021 found that:

‘Social workers benefit from being well supported by available and accessible managers.’

So, as a social worker, is it important to you that children's lived experiences are at the centre of your social work practice? To be part of a team that supports you, with a manager that you trust and respect. Do you want to work with aspirational and highly competent leaders, who have a clear and shared vision for children's services?

If yes, then please get in touch and take your next step in your professional career to the Isle of Wight today.