Gloucestershire North Team

Each team whilst on duty will undertake the initial assessments and will be case holder should the family progress to Child in Need or Child protection. Duty one week in nine. 

Where we are based

Our offices are based in the heart of our community in Cheltenham, with good commuter links to the office and onsite parking. We are co-located our Early Help, Family Group Conference and Psychology colleagues.

There are so many gorgeous views throughout Cheltenham to channel your inner peace during a potentially fast paced day, including the beauty of Cheltenham regency, which can be viewed from the high street. 

We also have an office based in Tewkesbury District Council offices attached to the leisure centre so a swim or gym session at lunchtime or before/after work is entirely possible. Some of our partners are co-located for example police, housing etc. We also have with lots of free parking surrounded by parkland and are within walking distance to local shops.

Who we are

There are five teams located within our offices, each having a Team Manager, Advanced practitioner, three Social workers and an ASYE. The teams are also supported by business support within each team. both teams collaborate closely together as a locality office as we cover the whole geographical area of North Gloucestershire. 

Multi agency working is key to sustainable change.

Our practice model is systemic, and we are proud of how we have embedded this within our service and within the organisation. 

Skills you'll need

Our key behaviours align to those of the council: Accountability, Integrity, Empowerment, Respect and Excellence.

You need to be a qualified social worker to join our team, with good written and analytical skills. You need to be able to build relationships with families and colleagues and be child centred in your practice. Experience of working in children and families with the ability to evidence your practice in this area is essential. To show motivation in making a difference to the lives of the children and families you work with.

Why you should join us

Here's what a parent said about L – Senior Social Worker, Team 4:

‘I grew up on a council estate and to me, Social Services always got involved with the rough families and the ones who were in extreme poverty, and I never thought the day would come when my family and I would need their help.  To be honest at first, I was mortified to think that I was one of those families from my younger days.

"However, meeting L and L changed all that. From our first meeting which was under very stressful circumstances, L has been nothing but kind, sympathetic, down to earth, honest and true to her word.  She completely understands the situation we are in and has done her upmost to help us.  L has been wonderful too and I took to both of them straight away.  They are just quite simply so friendly, and they want to help us.

"I really wish I had met both of them in better circumstances as they would make someone a great friend.  They both have our back and our children both have warmed to them and embraced the help they are giving.  They have sat there and listened to all of us patiently while we talk through the stress we have been under and empathised with us.  They truly want to help and that has meant the world to all of us’.

 
L said:

"We have a good team spirit and work well together. We can lean on each other during challenging times and come together as a strong supportive team. We are good at reflecting but also proficient at sharing our knowledge with others, including outside of the team. The office is a safe space for everyone where we can all rely on each other with the backing of our wonderful manager. "

C – Social worker, Team 4 said:

"I have come from a student, to an ASYE, to a qualified social worker, here in Cheltenham. There are many local amenities, like parking and shops, as well as the office facilities like the meeting rooms which I have noticed are harder to come by in other areas. I have built good multi-agency relationships, with help of the two other floors in the building consisting of different agencies.

"I was supported throughout my studying with many beneficial training opportunities and supervisions. I was instantly welcomed into the team. Which is helped by the consistency and stability of the team, with a pleasant sense of family."

 That's not all...

We are proud of our service and the work we have achieved to have the best outcomes for children and young people. Delivering the right services and the right time, and that our interventions are timely and impactful.

We also have cohorts of frontline students yearly who have then entered their ASYE year within our teams, to successfully progress to SSW and beyond.

 Our training offer and supervision are excellent. Supervision happens monthly on both case work and personal supervision. It is reflective and supportive. Caseloads allow for direct work and interventions with families. Visible leadership and supportive leadership from Team Manager to Director level.

Get in touch

We'd love to tell you more!

✉ Email: CSWrecruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk