Our values are at the heart of all we do here at Oxfordshire County Council. We all share a common purpose to deliver excellence for the residents of Oxfordshire. Our five values act as a guide to how the organisation and our people should approach everything we do.
In short, our values describe ‘the way we do things here’:
- Always learning
- Be kind and care
- Equality and integrity in all we do
- Taking responsibility
- Daring to do it differently
By consistently embodying these values in every behaviour, decision, and action, we will work together to achieve excellence. This approach will help us attract and retain top talent, create a positive environment where people can thrive and grow, and develop exceptional leaders for now and the future.
Why Choose Oxfordshire Children's Services?
In Oxfordshire Children’s Social Care, we are committed to creating a nurturing environment where every child can thrive within their family.
Our family safeguarding approach ensures that safety, stability, and love are at the core of our efforts. We aim to keep families together whenever it is safe to do so, providing holistic support that addresses the unique needs of each family member. By fostering strong, resilient families, we build a community where every child has the opportunity to grow and succeed in a loving and secure home.
Our family safeguarding approach is built on key principles that include:
- Multi-disciplinary teamwork
- Motivational interviewing
- Group supervision
- Workbook for case management
- A comprehensive family programme
- Shared values and purposeful interactions
Our Location
Over 723,200 residents live in one of Oxfordshire’s many beautiful villages and bustling market towns, quiet rural hamlets or in the historic city of Oxford and large town of Banbury.
We want to make sure that everyone in Oxfordshire can take advantage of what the county has to offer.
Transport
Located to the north west of London, between the Chiltern Hills and Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Oxford and the county are well connected by road and rail. London is an hour’s drive from Oxford and Birmingham just 80 miles north along the M40.
With two mainline stations, London is less than an hour away as well as the stations providing regular access to the north and the south coast. There are five park and ride sites in Oxford and on top of the extensive network of cycle routes across the county, a network of safe cycle and walking routes in Oxford has been given the go ahead to link surrounding towns and villages with the city centre and other key sites.
Being one of the most rural counties in England, doesn’t mean residents are isolated. London and Birmingham are an hour away on the train, and there is a 24-hour luxury coach, seven days a week that connects Oxford to the capital. Whether you choose to live in our county or not, you’ll find our main social work hubs easy to access.
Leisure
Large enough to have the buzz of a major city, but small enough to feel personal, Oxford defies the city stereotype. You have a wealth of diversity, history, culture and entertainment on your doorstep, including:
- Markets & local produce: visit the historic Covered Market for authentic local produce.
- Museums & galleries: explore the Ashmolean Museum alongside other esteemed galleries.
- Parks & green spaces: unwind in university parks, spanning over 80 acres of green space.
- Cycling: a bike-friendly city with over 100 miles of cycle paths that make commuting and leisure rides accessible.
- Redeveloped shopping centre: Westgate Oxford features over 100 shops, 14 restaurants, and a 12-screen cinema.
- Theatres: enjoy performances at venues like the 450-seat Oxford Playhouse and New Theatre Oxford.
- Historic charm: experience over 800 years of heritage with landmarks such as the University of Oxford and the Bodleian Library.
- Dining & Entertainment: indulge in a diverse culinary scene, with over 50 eateries and vibrant entertainment venues.
- Sports & fitness: numerous local sports clubs and a variety of fitness centres to choose from
Schools
Above average education as well as being home to two world famous universities, Oxfordshire has brilliant schools. In 2016, over 90% of children got a place at their first choice primary school. The county has GCSE pass rates above the national average, and above average key stage one and two scores.
Map of Oxfordshire
Living in Oxfordshire
Historic market towns, a bustling city, and picturesque, open landscapes. Oxfordshire is a county where you can settle into your own pace of life.
Stop and smell the flowers along the Ridgeway, or bounce with the crowd at Oxford’s O2 Academy. Oxfordshire suits many different lifestyles, including a busy social worker’s.
Versus London renting costs 40% less than in the capital and buying costs 43% less on average. The cost of accommodation also stacks up well against our neighbours in:
• Buckinghamshire
• Berkshire
• Surrey
Residential areas just outside of the city centre, such as Cowley are more affordable than living in Oxford. The city is also commuting distance from towns and villages such as Abingdon, Kidlington, and Didcot.
And we can offer up to £8,000 in relocation costs to the right candidate.
- Aylesbury: 45 mins to our Oxford office
- High Wycombe: 40 mins to our Oxford office
- Newbury: 30 mins to our Abingdon office
- Reading: 45 mins to our Abingdon office
- Swindon: 50 mins to our Abingdon office
- Coventry: 40 mins to our Banbury office
- Stratford Upon Avon: 35 mins to our Banbury office
- Warwick: 25 mins to our Banbury office
- Birmingham: 45 mins to our Banbury office
Employee Benefits
We offer competitive pay and up to 32 days paid holiday every year, with the chance to buy more. You’ll also be enrolled into our pension scheme where we contribute 19.9 per cent. For some roles there is also help with relocation expenses and settling in costs. Our bike and green car purchase schemes also make moving around financially flexible.
Family comes first, that’s why we’ve built a range of different benefits to support you. As well as our flexible ways of working around the role you do, you can make the most of our maternity and paternity schemes, and tax-saving childcare vouchers. But family isn’t just about the kids. If you have elderly relatives to care for, we’ll help out there too.
We do all we can to ensure that every one of our employees has a healthy work-life balance. Our agile working policy means you can work across council sites or from home to suit your needs and we support flexible working hours. You will be provided with a laptop, mobile phone and Skype for Business to facilitate agile working.
Not only is it important that you love what you do, but it’s also important to be able to manage your workload and devote the right amount of attention to each case. Being one of 16 authorities rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, as a social worker, you get the support you need.
Our Social Work Academy gives you access to the best professional development and career progression opportunities, for both newly qualified and experienced staff. We offer cutting edge training along with access to industry-leading research. Our Aspiring Leaders Programmes provide group coaching, mentoring and support to help you work towards the next level. We also offer regular reflective practice groups and research-based discussions for frontline social workers led by our inhouse clinical psychology team.
You can’t put a price on experience, but we can reward it. We offer a golden hello of £3,500 to experienced children’s social workers in our Assessment and Family Solutions Services to show we are serious about investing in you.
We know moving is expensive, so we offer £8,000 financial assistance towards property deposits and to ‘grease the wheels’ of the removal van.
We are passionate about keeping people safe, well and independent, whilst making a positive contribution. We host regular listening events and have a well at work scheme, which focuses on health and wellbeing. There’s also a social presence, with yoga classes, sports teams and more.
We offer newly qualified social workers a high-quality probation programme that provides plenty of opportunities to build on the learning acquired while studying for their social work degree. Our programme has been nationally recognised by Skills for Care.
Social workers joining us for their assessed and supported year in employment get the chance to develop their skills, knowledge and capability and strengthen their professional confidence to best serve the children, young people and vulnerable adults in Oxfordshire. They will receive good supervision and support from more experienced staff members and will be provided with guidance to help them follow the programme’s requirements.
We ensure that our team are rewarded for their hard work and continue to progress in their careers. We have developed a process of assessing skills and competencies that allow you to progress within the role of experienced social worker to the same level as a senior practitioner.
We offer a staff discount scheme for a range of retailers, holidays, insurance, restaurants, health & leisure activities and rail travel. We also offer childcare vouchers, a cycle to work scheme, generous pension contributions, 24-32 days annual leave each year and more.
Our People
“Social work can be challenging but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I was initially naïve about the role, thinking it was just about working with children and teenagers. In reality, it’s much more about inspiring and supporting parents to make positive changes.
Oxfordshire County Council offers various opportunities for growth, including training other social workers. I’m really happy in my team but if I wanted to move to a different team, such as fostering or youth justice, I know my manager would support me.
Oxfordshire County Council is a supportive place to work, with manageable caseloads and a positive environment. If you’re passionate about making a difference to children’s lives, then social work is incredibly fulfilling and impactful.”
“During the pandemic, I had time to reflect on my passions and what direction I wanted to focus my career. Ultimately, that led me to social work and through my own research I discovered the Frontline program.
Frontline is a two-year access to social work program, that includes a student year within a local authority and an option to complete a dissertation for a master’s degree in the second year.
Frontline gave me an advantage.
I did my student year in Rose Hill, central Oxford, where a consultant social worker guided me through low-level cases. This hands-on approach, with occasional university learning days, allowed me to learn directly from working with children and families.
By the end of the first year, I felt I had an advantage over colleagues who came straight from university, as I already had a year’s worth of experience.”
“I’m incredibly proud when I talk about what I do – I’m privileged that I’m paid to do it.
Working with and for the children who live in our children’s homes is a passion as much as a career.
Watching children, many facing big challenges, develop trust and confidence is an incredible feeling.
Life in a children’s home can be good and we care.
The first part of care is creating happy moments in the present and supporting young people in the now. The second part is providing them with the skills and support to thrive in tomorrow and beyond.
We’re supporting and inspiring them, so that when they leave the council’s care, they’re equipped with the confidence, skills and self-belief to make the most of their lives.”
Helena Oatts – Winner – ‘Participant of the Year’ at the Frontline Awards 2024
“I feel incredibly privileged to be doing my assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) here at Oxfordshire County Council. The support received from the Social Work Development Centre has enabled me to progress my skills whilst being healthily challenged and I’ve enjoyed all aspects of my role, post-qualification so far!”
“Winning the ‘Frontline Participant of the Year’ award was a humbling testimony to the hard work and advocacy I had dedicated to the families and children I was working with. It also highlighted the fantastic support and guidance I had received within Oxfordshire.”
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