The Local Government Association has launched a campaign aimed at social workers who have been out of the profession for up to 10 years.
Return to Social Work will provide support to social workers as they return to the role with local government employers – including the City of Wolverhampton Council’s social care services.
Louise Haughton, Wolverhampton’s Principal Social Worker, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for experienced social workers to get back into a profession they have left, maybe because they started a family or had a career break.
“We know that getting back into the profession after a period away can be tough, but the Return to Social Work programme will support people to regain the confidence, experience and knowledge they need to make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Rebecca Workman, who joined the City of Wolverhampton Council as a social worker in 2018, is encouraging people to take up the opportunity. She said: “Throughout my time within Wolverhampton, I have realised that everyone here genuinely strives to achieve the best outcomes for our families and are supported to do so by managers.
“This includes being given manageable workloads that enable us to have the time to undertake good work with families to achieve positive changes.
“It is a privilege to work with our children, young people and families and, for those who are either not in social work, or are looking to get back into the profession, I would urge them to come and work with us here in Wolverhampton.”
The Return to Social Work programme will provide free training to 200 former social workers and includes hands on work placements, comprehensive coaching and mentoring and dedicated interview preparation. Applications are open until 31 March, 2020. For more details, please visit Return to Social Work.
To find out more about social care jobs in Wolverhampton, please visit A Career in Social Care or email kim.bellingham@wolverhampton.gov.uk. Alternatively, social care professionals can find out more about the latest job opportunities in Wolverhampton at the annual Compass Jobs Fair, the largest social work and social care recruitment, retention and career development event in the UK, in Birmingham on Monday 16 March, 2020.
Representatives from the council's Adults and Children's Social Care services will be on hand to highlight current vacancies, while job hunters will also be able to speak to employees already working in Wolverhampton about their experiences. In addition, the council will be hosting 2 seminars at the event. Registration is required to attend the fair. For more information, please visit Compass.
