Social Worker Degree Apprenticeship (Trainee Social Worker) x 3
Plymouth City Council
Devon, PL1 3BJ
Closes in 25 days (Monday 10 March)
Posted on 12 February 2025
Contents
Summary
Through our partnership with the University of Plymouth, we offer a sponsored opportunity to undertake a three-year social work degree apprenticeship, which combines an opportunity for both work and study.
- Wage
- £35,235 a year
- Training course
- Social worker (integrated degree) (level 6)
- Hours
-
Details of the working week for this role can be discussed with the team at DevProf@plymouth.gov.uk
37 hours a week
- Possible start date
-
Friday 1 August
- Duration
-
3 years
- Positions available
-
3
Work
As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.
What you’ll do at work
- Develop knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of a registered social worker across children, families and adult provision.
- Inter-professional learning opportunities to deepen your understanding of your social work role in a multi-agency context.
- Practice placements throughout the programme to gain real-world experience in diverse settings.
- Dedicated service user and carer group supporting your learning.
Where you’ll work
Ballard House
West Hoe Road
Plymouth
Devon
PL1 3BJ
Training
An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.
College or training organisation
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
Your training course
Social worker (integrated degree) (level 6)
Equal to degree
Course contents
- Ensure professional ethical standards are developed, maintained and promoted.
- Take responsibility for your decisions and recommendations.
- Be aware of the impact of your own values on practice.
- Exercise authority as a Social Worker within the appropriate legal and ethical frameworks.
- Ensure the highest standard of person centred approach, so that people are treated with dignity and their rights, values and autonomy are respected.
- Practise in a non-discriminatory manner.
- Hear the views of people who use services, carers, their families and communities, recognise their expertise, and enable their views to have validity and influence.
- Promote the best interests of people who use services, carers, their families and communities.
- Work with people to enable them to make informed decisions and exercise their rights.
- Work to promote individual growth, development and independence.
- Undertake assessments of need and/or capacity.
- Initiate resolution of issues and use initiative.
- Gather, analyse, critically evaluate, and use research information and knowledge in your practice to develop an understanding of the individual’s situation.
- Make and receive referrals appropriately.
- Use social work methods, theories, and models to enable individuals to identify actions to achieve change and improve life opportunities.
- Manage and weigh up competing/conflicting values or interests to make reasoned professional judgement.
- Work within scope of practice as an autonomous professional.
- Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.
- Manage the physical and emotional impact of your practice.
- Identify and apply strategies to build professional and emotional resilience.
- Use supervision to support and enhance the quality of your practice.
- Maintain your own health and well-being.
- Recognise the need to manage workloads and resources effectively.
- Keep your skills, knowledge and ongoing professional development up to date.
- Show an awareness of current and relevant legislation.
- Use a range of research methodologies to inform your practice.
- Work in partnership with others
- Balance appropriate levels of autonomy within a complex system of accountability
- Respond appropriately to unexpected situations, identify and challenge practices which present a risk to, or from, people you are working with, their carers or others in order to uphold professional requirements.
- Respond appropriately to signs of harm, abuse and neglect.
- Establish and maintain personal and professional boundaries.
- Follow health and safety policies and procedures.
- Communicate in English at the level required by Social Work England.
- Communicate your role and purpose sensitively and clearly, using appropriate language and methods.
- Communicate in a way which is engaging, respectful, motivating, and effective, even when dealing with conflict or resistance to change.
- Exercise professional curiosity.
- Have difficult conversations with empathy.
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills.
- Engage with individuals and their families/carers and sustain effective relationships in order to effect change
- Engage effectively in inter-professional and inter-agency working to achieve positive outcomes.
- Support networks, groups, and communities to meet needs and outcomes.
- Maintain accurate and complete records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols, and guidelines.
- Prepare formal reports in line with legislation, policies, and procedures.
- Critically reflect on/review practice and record the outcomes of reflection appropriately.
- Present reports in formal settings.
- Use technology to manage your work.
- Use technology to communicate appropriately.
- Maintain individuals’ information security and protect data.
- Advise people on how to use assistive technology.
- Promote the use of technology to achieve better outcomes.
- Ensure professional ethical standards are developed, maintained and promoted.
- Take responsibility for your decisions and recommendations.
- Be aware of the impact of your own values on practice.
- Exercise authority as a Social Worker within the appropriate legal and ethical frameworks.
- Ensure the highest standard of person centred approach, so that people are treated with dignity and their rights, values and autonomy are respected.
- Practise in a non-discriminatory manner.
- Hear the views of people who use services, carers, their families and communities, recognise their expertise, and enable their views to have validity and influence.
- Promote the best interests of people who use services, carers, their families and communities.
- Work with people to enable them to make informed decisions and exercise their rights.
- Work to promote individual growth, development and independence.
- Undertake assessments of need and/or capacity.
- Initiate resolution of issues and use initiative.
- Gather, analyse, critically evaluate, and use research information and knowledge in your practice to develop an understanding of the individual’s situation.
- Make and receive referrals appropriately.
- Use social work methods, theories, and models to enable individuals to identify actions to achieve change and improve life opportunities.
- Manage and weigh up competing/conflicting values or interests to make reasoned professional judgement.
- Work within scope of practice as an autonomous professional.
- Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.
- Manage the physical and emotional impact of your practice.
- Identify and apply strategies to build professional and emotional resilience.
- Use supervision to support and enhance the quality of your practice.
- Maintain your own health and well-being.
- Recognise the need to manage workloads and resources effectively.
- Keep your skills, knowledge and ongoing professional development up to date.
- Show an awareness of current and relevant legislation.
- Use a range of research methodologies to inform your practice.
- Work in partnership with others
- Balance appropriate levels of autonomy within a complex system of accountability
- Respond appropriately to unexpected situations, identify and challenge practices which present a risk to, or from, people you are working with, their carers or others in order to uphold professional requirements.
- Respond appropriately to signs of harm, abuse and neglect.
- Establish and maintain personal and professional boundaries.
- Follow health and safety policies and procedures.
- Communicate in English at the level required by Social Work England.
- Communicate your role and purpose sensitively and clearly, using appropriate language and methods.
- Communicate in a way which is engaging, respectful, motivating, and effective, even when dealing with conflict or resistance to change.
- Exercise professional curiosity.
- Have difficult conversations with empathy.
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills.
- Engage with individuals and their families/carers and sustain effective relationships in order to effect change
- Engage effectively in inter-professional and inter-agency working to achieve positive outcomes.
- Support networks, groups, and communities to meet needs and outcomes.
- Maintain accurate and complete records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols, and guidelines.
- Prepare formal reports in line with legislation, policies, and procedures.
- Critically reflect on/review practice and record the outcomes of reflection appropriately.
- Present reports in formal settings.
- Use technology to manage your work.
- Use technology to communicate appropriately.
- Maintain individuals’ information security and protect data.
- Advise people on how to use assistive technology.
- Promote the use of technology to achieve better outcomes.
Your training plan
For more information about the course please see https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/apprenticeships/social-worker
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 9 - 4 (A* - C))
- Maths (grade 9 - 4 (A* - C))
Desirable qualifications
A Level in:
- A-Levels (excluding General Studies) (grade 104-120 UCAS Point)
T Level in:
- Health, Science and Healthcare science (grade Pass)
BTEC in:
- BTEC (grade DMM)
Other in:
- Science or Social Science (grade Pass with at least 33 credits)
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Administrative skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Additional Requirements. • Demonstrate IT competence through self-declaration • Achieve an International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) score of 7 if English is not your first language • Take part in an interview • Agree to an enhanced DBS with lists check. • Complete a health check administered by both Plymouth City Council and the University of Plymouth. If, in exceptional circumstances, there are serious doubts about your fitness to practice on health grounds, you may be asked to undergo a medical examination. This examination could be at your own expense.
About this company
We are the local authority for Plymouth, providing services and information to many of the area’s 262,700 residents as well as businesses and visitors. We employ over 2500 members of staff in a wide range of occupations including health consultant, park ranger, children’s social worker, refuse driver, registrar, housing delivery officer and customer support assistants. Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of any of the protected characteristics. As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
On successful qualification, applicants will be able to register for the protected title of ‘Social Worker’ and will be eligible to apply for employment with Plymouth City Council’s Children Young People and Families Service.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
DevProf@plymouth.gov.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000303124.
Apply now
Closes in 25 days (Monday 10 March)
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