Social Work Professional Standards Officer

Role Responsibility

Kent County Council is looking for an outstanding individual who is committed to providing a first-class service to children, young people and their families.

As Social Work Professional Standards Officer (SSO), you will support the research, design and delivery of high-quality integrated children’s practice across all of Children’s Services and the wider partnership, including new service standards, practices, policies and procedures.  You will be an active change agent in driving the standards of quality assurance within the children’s workforce practice across the County ensuring the effective delivery of services which safeguard children. This will involve actively engaging the voice of Social Work, Children and Families.

We are looking for someone to provide practitioners and managers with expert advice on all aspects of practice for children and families. You will provide support to practitioners and managers to develop a culture of optimum conditions for high quality practice. Your main emphasis will be on driving a high support, high challenge culture.  You will support and engage with the Senior Management Team to ensure practice remains focused on the child.

You will have strong frontline practice skills; sound management experience in children's social care; the ability to analyse complex information and use this to support improvement in practice; a positive communicator who can collaborate, influence, challenge with sound verbal and written skills. We are looking for someone who is deeply committed to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and will go the extra mile to make this happen.

You will have extensive knowledge of the legislation and statutory responsibilities that underpin Children's Social Work Service’s, including appropriate performance indicators and quality standards.

Kent County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment.  Appointment is dependent on satisfactory and verifiable references.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview week commencing 10 January 2022.

Contact Details

For further information on this role, please contact Hayley Bodiam on 03000 414776 or Melanie Spencer on 03000411078

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.