Social Worker

Acorns Children's Hospice are looking for a Social Worker to join our Team in our Hospice in Birmingham. Acorns Social Worker's collaboratively provide a holistic service to children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families, focusing on the co-ordination, development and delivery of services designed to assist with the issues related to the child or young person’s condition and the impact it has upon the wider family.

About the Role

At Acorns Children’s Hospice we offer specialist palliative care and support for children and their families across the West Midlands. We are there wherever and whenever they need us, in the hospice, community and at home. Our aim at Acorns is to help families feel equipped to cope at every stage of their child’s life with dedicated teams offering psychological, emotional and practical support. 

As an Acorns Social Worker, you will:

• Work in accordance with Social Work England professional standards, remaining professionally and legally accountable
• Collaboratively conduct the initial holistic assessment of children, young people and their families, considering the suitability of accessing family support service and/or other hospice services
• Work with the wider Family Services team, identifying and implementing social and emotional coping strategies for child or young person and their family, ensuring that all families feel fully supported, using recognised and evidenced based therapeutic interventions
• Act as advocate in relation to the holistic assessed needs for the child or young person, their family and significant others, liaising with members of the multi-disciplinary care team, social work colleagues and external agencies regarding available support
• Maintain a caseload of children with complex social needs
• Empower children, young persons and their families to make decisions about their care and to exercise choice.

The role is as wide reaching as it is rewarding. You’ll liaise extensively with external providers and experts across Acorns, supporting families from diverse cultural and social settings across the region. Some, you’ll get to know over several years. Others could be suddenly admitted for an all-too-brief stay with us. Meeting their needs will be professionally invaluable and personally unforgettable.

Championing the needs of children with life-limiting conditions and their families is challenging and intense work. This role isn’t for everyone, but, if you’re looking for an engaging setting for the professional skills you’ve gained, there is no better place than Acorns to work.

About You

• Current registration with Social Work England
• Relevant post-registration experience of working with children and young people with complex care requirements
• Experience of managing a complex caseload, where competing demands and constant interruptions to the work pattern, require the workload to be prioritised
• Experience of planning and providing therapeutic interventions on a one to one and group work basis
• Experience of documenting observations, decisions and actions and communicating these effectively to members of a multidisciplinary team
• In depth understanding of the provision of palliative care to young people with life-limiting conditions

We’re driven by children’s needs, so you should be able to travel independently across the region

What We Offer

• £41,500 to £45,000 per annum
• 37.5 hours per week
• Based in our Birmingham Hospice (B29 6HZ)
• Employee discounts from leading retailers – including the Blue Light Card
• Discounts on refurbished tech
• Eye Test discount
• Health cash plan
• Gym membership and equipment discount scheme
• Bike2Work scheme - save up to 42% on bikes and equipment 
• Wellbeing, legal and financial support
• Generous contribution to group personal pension plan (7.5%) or continuation of current NHS pension scheme
• NHS pension scheme life assurance or Acorns group life assurance scheme 

Interviews are scheduled to be held on 19 December

You need to be eligible to work in the UK to be considered for this role. We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and therefore any successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check for children and will be asked to provide two satisfactory references.  In addition, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of immunisation against specific diseases or confirm their willingness to receive the necessary vaccinations.

As a UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting organisation, we are committed to ensuring that the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child is embedded into both culture and practice within the organisation. As an employee you will be a Duty Bearer for Children’s Rights and support all children to be Rights Holders.

If you have any questions, please contact us at recruitment@acorns.org.uk

Find out about our culture, career development, benefits and more here: Why Work for Acorns?