Posted on Monday 30th October 2023
Social worker with Staffordshire County Council's adult learning disability team, Jayne Staples (right).
Staffordshire County Council’s careers website has relaunched with a fresh look and an all-new ambassador programme that enables people to hear directly from staff what it is like to work there.
The website, which went live today (Monday 30 October), is the best place to learn about all the jobs and opportunities available across the county council.
On the new website, people can:
- Explore the county council’s different departments and find out what they do
- Search for jobs that match their skills and interests
- Learn more about SCC’s benefits and career development opportunities
People interested in working for SCC will also be able to hear directly from employees about working life, thanks to the new ambassador programme.
One ambassador is Jayne Staples – a social worker with the adult learning disability team. She left school with no qualifications and undiagnosed dyslexia.
Jayne said:
“I loved the role of a social worker, but I didn’t think I was clever enough.”
She began her career journey by doing relief driving for SCC, which led to her successfully applying for the post of social case assessor.
Jayne said:
“They must have seen something in me and the only thing I can think of is just a passion.”
Jayne’s manager quickly realised that she struggled with writing and contacted Access to Work, who carried out an assessment and provided equipment to support her.
After losing her husband to cancer in 2019, Jayne needed a challenge. She went to university, got a first-class degree and began working with the county council as a social worker.
Now, she works flexibly from her canal boat as she soaks up the countryside views and watches the ducks.
Jayne said:
“The reason I am still here is because of the environment I work in within Staffordshire. We’ve got somebody there that we can talk to all the time. I feel supported by Staffordshire, and I always feel listened to.
“The sense of community that I get from working for Staffordshire is priceless.”
Beth Edwards, a trainee solicitor within SCC’s childcare team, has always wanted to work in child protection but did not realise she could get trained to do this at a local authority.
Her training contract has enabled her to get crucial experience across the different teams in the county council’s legal services unit after completing her law degree and masters, alongside her LPC qualification.
Beth said:
“Each day is completely different. You could be sat at home working one minute and be rushing off to court within the afternoon.
“The team are amazing; they are really supportive. In terms of my training, they’ve been fantastic. I don’t think I could have had any better training, had I gone anywhere else.”
Deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills, Philip White, said:
“We are incredibly excited about our new careers website, especially our new ambassador programme. I’m grateful to our hard-working resourcing and digital teams for making this happen.
“We asked our staff to share their career stories with us and we were blown away by their passion and dedication. I was particularly impressed by those who got their foot in the door with us and worked their way towards their desired roles. We want all our staff to shine and aspire to give them every opportunity to get to where they want to be.
“Our ambassadors are the faces of Staffordshire County Council and we can’t wait to share their stories with you.”
For more information about job vacancies and career opportunities, visit Staffordshire County Council’s new careers website at https://www.careersatstaffordshire.co.uk/.
View Jayne’s career journey on YouTube here.
View Beth’s career journey on YouTube here.