About the team we are recruiting to

In Coventry, we are working hard to build something special. Children and families are at the heart of everything we do, and we believe they deserve the best outcomes.  Children’s Services provides a wide range of statutory and non-statutory duties, from Early Help Services, through to children who are looked after.  

The service reflects and responds to the changing needs of children and their families.  It works to enable a reflective and flexible approach, with a strong Early Help offer and a real focus on Relationship Based Practice and Signs of Safety, which focuses on intervention and keeping families together. 

Children’s Services is proud of its achievements to date and is continuing to ensure children and families remain at the heart of all it does.  We will provide you with an environment where social work can flourish, with high support, high challenge and manageable caseloads.  Children’s Services is proud of its workforce, who are committed, dedicated, and work to a high standard. We are seeking other like minded practitioners who would like to join us.  We pride ourselves on building relationships with families and partners and hold respectful practice at the centre of all we do.

The Through Care Service works with looked after children and care leavers.  The service is co-located with carers advisors, a housing liaison officer and a UASC liaison officer.  Through Care is an innovative and dynamic service involved in national pilots of Lifelong Links, Leaving Well and New Belongings and were shortlisted for the 2019 social workers of the year awards.  Coventry is part of the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum.

What is the job role?

We are recruiting to a House Project Lead post in our Through Care Service. This is a new and exciting post working with the National House Project in Coventry. 

The National House Project supports local authorities to establish Local House Projects led by young care leavers to enable them to live independent and fulfilling lives. The House Project approach provides a range of experiences to develop skills, knowledge and build confidence as well as supporting young people to refurbish void properties to provide them with safe, comfortable and permanent homes, for as long as they choose to live in them. The programme also includes the development and support of the Care Leavers National Movement (CLNM) – a forum enabling young people to be at the forefront of the development of services affecting their futures.

The post holder will lead and implement the development of the House Project in Coventry. The project will work intensively with approximately 10 children in care and care leavers at any one time, to enable them to develop their own House Project, prepare them for independence and support them to secure their own long-term tenancy and maintain an EET pathway. Ongoing support will also be provided to young people who graduate from the House Project.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Who are we looking for?

As the House Project Lead you will be setting direction and managing and supervising a team of staff, enabling them to work with young people as well as implementing quality assurance systems. You will engage and work with the National House Project, including attendance at Community of Practice meetings, training and conferences.

Through Care is an innovative service involved in national pilots of Lifelong Links, Leaving Well and New Belongings. The service was shortlisted for the 2019 social worker of the year awards. The service works with looked-after children and care leavers aged 12-25. This is an exciting service to be a part of with the voice of the child central to all the work we do. The service also is co-located with carers and housing advisors.

Coventry children are achieving great things, we have record numbers of care leavers at University, as well as many more doing apprenticeships, further training or in employment. Coventry is part of the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum and we want a dynamic leader to drive forward the positive change that have been made and further strengthen the service.

You will have considerable experience of working with children and young people. With fantastic leadership skills, you will motivate and support those supervised by you. Creating an environment for social practice to flourish.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

Interview date(s):24th March 2021

About Coventry

Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!

There's a huge buzz about the city – Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.

We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.

As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.

Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Outstanding local government pension scheme
• Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
• Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
• Vibrant employee networks 

Coventry City Council