We are committed to working with children, young people and their families to promote health, well-being and good life chances for all, while focussing on protecting children and young people from harm when it is needed.
However, we know that none of this is possible without the dedication of a highly trained and well supported workforce.
To recruit passionate, dedicated and experienced professionals we offer an attractive and competitive remuneration package alongside excellent support, supervision and learning and development opportunities.
In return for your skills, knowledge and experience, you will receive a competitive starting salary, generous annual leave and a positive and supportive working environment to enable your career to progress.
We are committed to maintaining caseloads at acceptable levels across the service and to supporting practitioners to achieve high standards of practice through high quality supervision and learning and development.
For all our staff we provide a working environment that enables practitioners and managers to deliver high standards of practice and management and further their careers. This includes;
- Excellent induction and a supported start, including opportunities to shadow partners.
- Maintaining caseloads at manageable levels across the service.
- Supportive team and working environments.
- Access to an excellent learning and development offer from our Academy, building knowledge and skills to support staff to develop at every stage in their professional career.
- Commitment to high quality reflective supervision and support from an experienced management team.
- Clear career progression pathways, both for practitioners as Advanced Practitioners across our teams and a supported pathway
- Generous annual leave entitlement.
Social workers in our children's social work teams
To support recruitment and retention we have agreed an enhanced remuneration package for the next two years for social workers in our Children’s Social Work Teams. This includes;
- A one-off welcome payment for qualified social workers of £3,000 to new starters.
- All Social Workers and Team Managers receive a retention payment of £3,500 per annum. (In place for two years, paid in instalments)
All qualified social workers
For all qualified social workers we offer:
- 100% reimbursement of the cost of registering with Social Work England
Training and development
Plymouth City Council is a place that nurtures talent, with strong training programmes and a proactive approach to development.
Through our Academy of Social Work, you can benefit from a strong training and development programme that will support you to develop your practice and progress within the organisation wherever you are in career and whatever your career aspirations. This includes learning and development for you to develop your practice expertise, or to support you to move into management roles.
Our pledge to you
Greater support
The wellbeing of our staff is paramount. Our improvements are making sure all staff have access to high quality and reflective supervision. We’ve invested in leadership and management training so that children’s social care staff receive the highest level of support and supervision. We know careers in children’s services can be challenging, our workers speak positively about the support they receive from their colleagues, team and manager.
More time with children
We are making significant improvements to our systems, processes and procedures which will bring about efficiencies and reduced unnecessary paperwork, giving you more time to work with children, use your professional skills and ultimately do more of the work you came into the social work profession to do. Teams have access to family support workers, social work assistants and business support to ensure that we maximise the time you spend doing direct work with children and families.
Tailored induction process
We offer a supported induction programme that provides you with the opportunity to familiarise yourself with our working practices in Plymouth and local arrangements. This includes opportunities to spend time with different teams and partners across the City and opportunities to understand what it means to work in a trauma informed City working restoratively with children and families.
Support and opportunity
You’ll work as part of a highly committed and passionate team who support one another. You will benefit from shared knowledge and learning across the City and have access to a wider choice of training opportunities to develop your career in the areas in which you’re really passionate about.
Better communication
You’ll benefit from effective joined up thinking with local universities through our teaching partnerships, with health professionals, the police, schools and other partner organisations. As a city we’re established at working closely together to learn from one another and adopt best practice, helping us all keep children safer.
Don’t just take our word for it –hear from our workforce