We can offer some great benefits when you join our Children’s Social work team at Stockport Council. Working as an integrated service, with a shared vision the Stockport Family team uses a relationships-based approach, fostering a restorative culture in our Social Work practice.
Find out more from Children’s Social Workers who work as part of our team!
Leoni, Children’s Social Worker
Why did you choose social work as your career?
Leoni told us how since school she always found Social Work an appealing future career.
“Social work always appealed to me, right from school; being involved with families and helping them through difficulties. Life took me on a different path that delayed my career starting but the draw never left me and as I matured and explored more about social work, I realised my life experiences were a perfect fit for the role and give me a really strong sense of empathy and social justice.”
What attracted you to Stockport Family?
Leoni applied to three different local authorities when looking to start her career as a Social Worker, she told us why she chose Stockport Council over other local authority employers!
“They key thing for me was the focus on relationships, the interview felt very relaxed, there was a lot of humour and personal aspects, and it was clear that Stockport focus on relational practice, which fits my skills and approach.”
“Having a social worker involved in your family is often very scary and so being ‘human first’ often allows some of those anxieties to reduce. The model of practice reduces the number of social worker changes for families, and this promotes more established relationships for families, bringing consistency and helping to build trust. In addition, it means that the social worker develops a good understanding of the family from the initial referral and gets to work with the family to achieve the best possible outcome.”
What have been the highlights of your time with Stockport Family?
Leoni told us she feels encouraged and supported by her colleagues, senior leaders, and the Workforce Development Team. She feels they guide and, in some cases, challenge her to become a better Social Work practitioner as well as supporting her personal development.
“The support has been personal and not just professional and that really stands out to me.”
How has Stockport Family supported you to develop as a social worker?
“There has been an abundance of training offered, from ASYE support sessions, informal learning in the team, learning circles from other colleagues and external training courses; there is sufficient training for it to be a full-time job if you wanted.
There is also work coaching that can be accessed, and I have really enjoyed.
Regular supervision with my team manager, as well as reflective supervision with senior practitioners individually and as a group has been useful. I have been fortunate to be in a great team and had lots of opportunities to shadow and co-work so I can develop my skills at a reasonable and safe pace for me.
Case allocation has been fair to enhance my skills and develop knowledge and experience whilst also allowing for interest and choice where possible”.
Jessica, Children's Social Worker
Why did you choose social work as your career?
Jessica came to the role after having worked in a school, and found she was passionate about the pastoral side of the role. Jessica wanted to take a more holistic approach to supporting children and teenagers and felt social work would enable her to take a more individualised approach.
“I am a big advocate for social justice and wanted to work closely with disadvantaged communities and understand the issues and barriers faced by people as much as possible.”
What attracted you to Stockport Family?
“I was attracted to Stockport Family because of the focus on close partnership working between different services. I was also attracted by the restorative practice model; I don’t think that we can get anywhere in this line of work without a strong foundation of good working relationships that have empathy and understanding as their basis.”
What is it like working in Stockport Family – what are the best parts of your day?
Jessica enjoys the varied and busy workload of a Social Worker in Stockport Family. She told us how she enjoys working together with her team and the direct and long-term relationships her role allows her to build.
“No two days are the same, they are so varied. I have a brilliant team and often the best part of a day is when we manage to all get together”
“I enjoy having a purposeful direct work session with a young person or a parent; it feels like that is how we should be spending as much of our time as possible, and it is really rewarding when someone puts their trust in you to talk about really difficult and personal issues in their life.”
What have been the highlights of your time with Stockport Family?
“I have worked with some families for almost two years now and been with them from initial assessments right through to them being looked after. Although it has been hugely difficult for the families, to see the kids doing so well is just amazing, it is hard to put it into words. I have also built strong relationships with the children and get so much enjoyment from the time I spend with them. Some of the biggest positives for me have been around supporting families to make amazing changes for themselves, it’s a privilege to be able to work with families when they really need help and support and then seeing them get to a point where they’re able to stand on their own two feet – being able to help them see the positive changes they’ve made is amazing!”
How has Stockport Family supported you to develop as a social worker?
Since joining the Stockport Family team, Jessica has had experience of many areas of Social Work, including duty work, assessments, child in need (team around the child), the child protection process, complex care proceedings and supported children in our care.
She told us, “I have learnt so much and feel so much more confident in my practice than when I started.”
What are your hopes for the future?
“I hope to continue developing my skills as a social worker. I would like to find my ‘niche’ and specialise in an area of social work; I am just not completely sure what that is yet. I would also like to develop my ability to support those starting their journey into social work.”
Interested in finding out more? Visit our website to explore more about a career as a Social Worker with stockport Family!