Profile for Wandsworth Council
Social Work in Wandsworth
It’s not always easy being a social worker especially when you have to face unfair and ill-informed attitudes. However, in Wandsworth we know that social workers have a challenging professional task.
Our service has long been known for its standards of professionalism and expertise. We do our utmost to keep social work caseloads under control so you can concentrate on what really matters – delivering an excellent service to the people that need your expert support.
We’ve always welcomed the views of staff in delivering services, improving the working environment and acting as a good employer. It’s the product of an open door culture in which staff feel comfortable talking to managers.
At Wandsworth, we strongly believe that social workers should never feel isolated or left unsupported. That’s why we have in place a strong culture of supervision that ensures the advice, guidance and support is there whenever you need it.
We’re also committed to promoting staff development and applying it to attract, retain and develop the strongest possible teams.
Like all Authorities, we’re committed to building a workforce of a mix of backgrounds and talents – and one that reflects the community we serve. Our commitment to fairness and equality extends to our approach to working with service users and employees.
By joining Wandsworth, you’ll become part of a strong, supportive team that is proud of the positive effect it has on the lives of the most vulnerable children and families in the borough.
The Wandsworth Way
It isn’t a formally agreed set of policies or procedures. It isn’t an unwritten list of rules or regulations. It’s neither an old fashioned outlook nor a cutting edge methodology.
The Wandsworth Way describes our team’s approach to social work – it is a set of shared values and principles which guide our work.
The Wandsworth Way is to:
- put safe practice at the heart of everything we do
- embrace structure, supervision and oversight
- value the opinions of service users and employees alike
- take responsibility for the quality of our own work
- take pride in our achievements and to learn from our mistakes
- think innovatively and act creatively, but never to follow fads
Our Borough
The borough is the biggest in inner London with a growing population in excess of 260,000. It varies from the leafy avenues of Putney to the high rise, high density estates of north Battersea through Wandsworth Town down to Tooting and Balham.
We enjoy five miles of Thames river frontage and 1600 acres of parks and common land yet, we also have some of the busiest roads in the capital. There is a vibrant ethnic and cultural mix. Around one in five residents are black or Asian with the biggest minority communities in the south of the borough in Tooting.
The business sector is especially dynamic with more start-ups among small and medium-sized enterprises than anywhere else in the capital, many of them serving the fast growing IT and media industries. We’re also renowned for our council tax rates, which are the lowest in the country.
In short, it’s a borough with a buzz – and that makes it a great place to work.
There are probably some things you didn’t know about Wandsworth. To learn more please visit to our dedicated Social Work microsite www.thewandsworthway.org