What do social workers value from employers when deciding whether to apply for a new post? For Sarah Buckle, family court adviser at Cafcass, it was opportunities for learning and development which steered her search for a fresh role just under two years ago.
“It was the investment in my development,” says Buckle. “I didn’t want to go down the standard route of progression commonly offered at local authorities.
“I’d been talking to someone who’d been with Cafcass for 10 years and was encouraged by how she’d been supported. I was keen to enhance my practice learning and progression – there seemed lots of room to do this.”
Buckle is not alone. 61% of social work practitioners surveyed in the latest Guardian Social Lives research value career development and training opportunities highly when seeking a new role.
“I also saw it as an opportunity to work differently,” says Buckle. “You explain your role to children in representing their voice and interests and there’s a willingness from them to share their wishes and feelings. I always make it clear that while I will always consider their views, my recommendations might not always match this – their welfare is the priority.”
Having worked at Cafcass for nearly 20 months, Buckle has had ample opportunity to explore her strengths and interests. “My manager’s been really open and encouraging in supervision – suggesting work I might find interesting. It’s a supportive environment – information about opportunities is really out there, on our staff intranet and within the team.”
One new area of work Buckle will be taking on is looking after cases going through the Milton Keynes Family, Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC). It’s a prospect she’s clearly energised by. The FDAC is an alternative court system which works to help parents in care proceedings tackle substance misuse. It is recognised as a problem solving court that for many parents has broken the cycle. The overall focus is on improving outcomes for children so that they can return to or stay in their parents’ care.
Buckle has been observing a colleague at work at the FDAC and will be taking over early February. To support her in this transition, as with all cases, the team’s enhanced practitioner Sylvia Baker is on hand to provide advice and act as a sounding board. While peer and managerial support is available, Buckle also values the autonomy Cafcass practitioners are given. “We’re able to make recommendations to the court, working from a clear evidence base, without checking back with managers. We’re regarded by the court as experts and, as long as we’ve demonstrated we can perform to standards, are trusted by our managers to fulfil this role.”
Looking to make the most of development opportunities Buckle recently applied for the emerging talent programme, with encouragement from her manager. The programme aims to support staff to enhance their skill base in order to achieve professional goals, whether that be to take on new areas of work or progressing to the next grade. “I hear back next week, so fingers crossed.”
Learning is a two-way pursuit for Buckle who is also starting training as a practice educator to support social work students placed with Cafcass to develop their skills. The training gains her postgraduate credits, while students will benefit from Buckle sharing insight from her own experience.
And it’s not just professional development that Cafcass looks after. Big on health and wellbeing, the organisation provides staff with access to Medicash health cover, among other benefits. “It relieves additional stresses – if you’ve got tooth or back ache you can get it looked into without having to wait for pay day. You feel supported…valued,” says Buckle
As a working mum, another plus is Cafcass’ openness to flexible working arrangements, says Buckle. Practitioners are provided with smartphones and lightweight laptops and tablets, all with secure access to case information, enabling remote working from home or court. It helps Buckle, who lives outside of Milton Keynes, find a balance between a busy work schedule and family life.
The Guardian Social Lives survey found that work-life balance is high on the agenda for social workers when looking for a new role or as incentive to stay with an employer – a view shared by Buckle. “As a parent, having the option to work from home is a god-send, though generally I like to balance working from home and the office. We’re a small, close-knit team and it’s nice to get in to see everyone.” With video conferencing facilities built into the devices however, it’s easy enough to maintain contact while out of the office.
And how did Sarah find joining such an established team? “It was easy to slot right in – they’re a good bunch. I had my induction with Sylvia who helped me get to grips with Cafcass’ approach. The team is always happy to float ideas of how to progress a case where issues have cropped up.”
Although some of her cases require Buckle to travel to London (with the close proximity, families are sometimes based across the two cities) she says it doesn’t present a problem. “Because we’re able to manage our own time I can work out which areas I need to visit and book a couple of interviews or observations with families in an afternoon. I have a car to get into the office anyway and the flexible working means I can choose when to travel, avoiding rush hour for example.”
So what’s next for Buckle? “I’m happy here. Cafcass invests in me and the ways of working suit my lifestyle, so there’s no reason to be moving on. I’m looking forward to the future and seeing how I can progress.
“For me it’s about weighing up financial gain offered by some employers versus how an organisation will support your professional development and your mental health and wellbeing. The choice was easy.”
View Cafcass job vacancies here.
Content on this page is produced and controlled by Cafcass, sponsor of the Guardian Social Care Network children’s services hub.
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