Gloucestershire East Team

This is inclusive of single assessment, child protection investigations, child in need/child protection planning, and care and pre-proceedings.

We work with children in care, until their permanency plan is concluded also. We work with a variety of children and families in different circumstances and facing differing challenges and levels of need. 

Where we are based

Within Gloucestershire East, we have two offices, these have been recently (and very nicely redeveloped). They are in Lewis Lane, Cirencester and Redwood House in Stroud.

Both offices are close to local amenities and this is a real benefit of working in the areas particularly when the farmers market is on for a nice, sometimes not so healthy, lunch and deserved break from the day to day work.

Who we are

Across the service we have eight social work teams, which have five social workers each, an Advanced Practitioner and a business support. The team managers are Anna Symonds, Helen Gormley, Tracy Ryan, Louise Burns, Sarah Clews, Jeannette Wade, Navdip Bhandal, Rhiannon Bailey and Kehinde Lipede (job share).

Group Manager for the service is Finbar Breeze, and Assistant Director is Julie Miles. 

Skills you'll need

Staff within this area need to be willing and able to build positive working relationships with children, families, and colleagues within and outside of our organisation to promote effective change. This relationship based social work requires staff to think in a collaborative and co productive approach sometimes often in periods of difficulty.

Staff would need some level of experience in social work preferably in assessment/safeguarding /children looked after - but not explicitly within these fields so long as there is a willingness and desire to learn and develop.

Good organisational skills and written skills are required to help social workers balance the demands of the role.

Ultimately an ability to work under pressure is needed as at times things do not always go right or according to plan, and there can be increased demands on social workers. However, there is a cohesive and supportive management group to help manage some of these pressures alongside supportive colleagues.

Why you should join us

A recent compliment was received from a family, about our Advanced Practitioner Gemma Bray in CFT 8. This was regarding her feedback following her work with a child in care where there had been concerns around exploitation which ultimately lead to his accommodation. The feedback was from his mother which said:

“Gemma made a difference majorly, feel listened, feel heard. If we ask her a question, she will get back to you if she can answer, she follows through. Her whole impact to my family, me, [the child] has been good. She’s the first person who has seen (him) as a child, as an individual. Relly pleased she is involved, don’t feel like I’m on my own with (him) anymore.”

 We have also received feedback from our reviewing service colleagues. Toni Barber-Scurr, AP CFT 5, received the following feedback following some complex care proceedings where there had been some delay but a care plan ultimately of adoption with a mother who was vulnerable in her own right. This feedback said:

 "I just wanted to send an e-mail following care and placement orders being granted for a baby who Toni is the SW for. Prior to Toni taking over, there was some drift in the progress of proceedings, but since taking over, Toni has moved things forward in terms of the proceedings, and the tasks involved with this, whilst also building a positive, yet professional and boundaried relationship with the birth Mum, working closely with her advocate; and I feel that working hard at this relationship has enabled birth Mum to come to terms with the babies’ plan of adoption. It has been an incredibly sad case, but the outcome of adoption is the right one for this baby and Toni has secured legal permanency for her."

This has been reflected in some of the feedback we have received from young people received about Talent, a newly qualified social worker in CFT 3. This was surrounding a child in care who had been known to the service all of her life having multiple social workers and was feedback through her advocate. This said:

 "I have seen how Talent has ensured [the child] feels safe and secure and able to trust those supporting her enough to make some significant disclosures about past experiences. Talent has acted with care and sensitivity and provided [the child] with the confidence to not only pass on what has happened to her but to act on it and seek out closure for herself. Talent demonstrated her exceptional skill and ability as a social worker - something I believe is very hard to achieve. She is indeed very talented. To confirm this, [the child] bestowed the highest honour upon Talent by saying that she was her favourite social worker - she has sadly had many, so it is a true accolade."

 The quotes above are indicative of the direction that we are moving towards and the service that we are striving to deliver to children and families. As such, if there are social workers wanting to join an area of the service where real relational and impactful social work is desired, East Gloucestershire is calling.

That's not all...

East Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire in general is an a area of real beauty and a pleasure to work within. If you have not visited, we strongly recommend you reach out and spend some time with us, to not only get a feel of the area but also the working environment.

Get in touch

We'd love to tell you more!

Please contact:
✉ Email: cswrecruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk