About the Role
As part of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's ambitious Social Care reforms, we are recruiting experienced Senior Social Workers to join our newly established Family Help Teams.
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a developing service designed to provide timely, effective support to children and families. Family Help Teams work with children and young people requiring Assessments, Early Help, Child in Need, and Child Protection Plans, enabling practitioners to focus on meaningful intervention and positive outcomes.
Location: Council House, Manor Square, Solihull B91 3QB
Rate: £33.30 per hour (Umbrella rate)
Contract: Temporary
Hours: 37 hours per week
Office Requirements: Duty occurs just once every 8 weeks, staff are expected to attend the office one day per week when not on duty
Unlike many authorities, Solihull has a dedicated Court Team that manages all public and private law proceedings, allowing Family Help Social Workers to focus on direct work with children and families. Our Family Help Service consists of eight multidisciplinary teams, each made up of:
- 5 Social Workers
- 3 Family Support Workers
- 2 Advanced Practitioners
- 1 Team Manager
To support effective practice and manageable workloads caseloads are maintained between 16-20 children, a strong emphasis is placed on relationship-based practice and quality interventions. This commitment to manageable caseloads and strong practitioner support is one of the key reasons agency workers choose to stay in Solihull and frequently return for future assignments. Staff benefit from;
- Monthly individual supervision
- Monthly group supervision
- Bi-monthly service development and training sessions
- Access to the Partnership Hub and extensive multi-agency resources
- Approachable and supportive managers who make time for practitioners
- A positive team culture focused on wellbeing, development, and high-quality social work practice
Key Responsibilities
- Complete assessments and develop effective plans for children and families.
- Work with children subject to Early Help, Child in Need, and Child Protection plans.
- Undertake direct work with children and families to drive positive change.
- Build strong relationships with partner agencies and professionals.
- Identify risks and implement interventions that improve outcomes and promote safety.
- Progress plans effectively while maintaining a child-centred approach.
- Contribute to the ongoing development of Solihull's Family Help model.
- Maintain high-quality case recording, assessments, and care planning.
About You
- Hold a recognised Social Work qualification.
- Current registration with Social Work England.
- ASYE completed with at least 3 years' permanent experience as a statutory Children's Social Worker.
- Are passionate about improving outcomes for children and families.
- Are committed to safeguarding and promoting children's welfare.
- Have strong assessment and planning skills.
- Can undertake meaningful direct work with children and families.
- Have excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
- Can work effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities.
- Are confident progressing plans and achieving measurable outcomes.
- Want to contribute to an innovative and evolving service.
If you're an experienced Practitioner looking for a role where manageable caseloads, supportive management, and meaningful direct work are genuinely prioritised, we'd love to hear from you. Join Solihull's new Family Help Team and play a key role in shaping the future of children's services while making a real difference to the lives of children and families.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. A DBS check may be applicable for this role, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules.
If successful, candidates will be required to provide information to support the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's commitment to the prevention and detection of fraud. This information will be processed by the Council's Internal
Audit Services and may be shared with the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) for data matching.
