We have roles across all of our services.
Browse opportunities in the Children and Young People's department.
Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub - MASH
This is the team that speaks to the public and other agencies (like police, schools and health) about worries they want to report about children.
Social workers make an initial decision about whether children and families need extra support or if they need an assessment.
If the reported worry requires an assessment from a social worker, then a transfer is made to our social work assessment teams.
Initial Response Service
These teams are required to complete an assessment within 45 days and assess the level of need a child may require.
If a child is considered at risk of harm then a strategy meeting with our colleagues in police and health is convened.
Following assessment, social workers then devise a child focused plan with the family if further intervention is required.
If longer term intervention is required, the child and family transfer to our safeguarding teams.
Safeguarding Service
In these teams, social workers are involved with our children and families on a longer term basis, usually subject to child in need or child protection planning.
If the child’s daily lived experience does not improve with our intervention or if there are very serious concerns, these teams will do pre-court work and court work (care proceedings) where, on occasions, we assist the court to make best interest decisions for children to be removed from their family for their safety.
Children with Disabilities
This team works with children and young people with complex disabilities.
We complete assessments that identify how we can work with children and their families to ensure needs are met and they are safe.
We are able to offer families interventions, support and resources to ensure that children reach their full potential, are as independent as possible and ready for adulthood.
Care and Support Service and Leaving Care Service – Cared for Children
These teams work with children who are in our care. As a “corporate parent” our role is to ensure that a child and young person is given every opportunity to achieve the best outcomes possible.
This involves working closely with children and their carers to progress their care plans. These plans are reviewed by an independent reviewing officer.
For some of our children, subject to further assessment, plans can be made for reunification back to birth family.
For other children this will not be possible and social workers ensure that foster and residential homes are meeting the needs of children up to the time when they transition to leaving care.
There is a care leavers service for young people and personal advisors support young people in this area.
Fostering Service
Social workers in fostering teams complete assessments of family and friends as alternative carers for children when they can’t stay in their immediate birth family.
They also support foster carers and supervise the care that they provide for our cared for children and young people
Complex Safeguarding Team
This team works mostly with teenagers who might be at risk of exploitation and abuse from harm outside the family home – this is contextual safeguarding.
The social workers in this team work alongside the allocated social worker in safeguarding and police to devise a plan of direct work to keep young people safe and reduce harm they might be experiencing.
“Team Around the Child”
In addition to your supportive team and team manager, we also have other services that help drive outcomes for children and create a ‘team around the child’.
These include our family group conferencing team, edge of care team, family support workers and youth services.
Partnership working is critical, and our early help/early years and education departments are so important to realising our ambitions for all our children.