Senior Social Worker - Exploitation

About this job

This is a really exciting time to come and join the newly created Adolescent team, our multidisciplinary response to the range of exploitative situations faced by some of the most vulnerable children in our borough. The team includes social workers, a family therapist, a harmful sexual behaviour specialist, missing children coordinators and is supported by colleagues from Prevent and Safer London.

This team sits alongside the Youth Offending Service to create a joined up targeted response which supports us in having a holistic focus on the young person within a contextual safeguarding environment.

Barking and Dagenham has a rapidly growing 0-19 population and we recognise that not all risks faced by children originate from within the family home. We have been chosen to work with experts from the University of Bedfordshire to help embed a contextual safeguarding approach to tackle these issues, alongside our partners across Barking and Dagenham.

Within the borough we use a relational approach to engage our children and young people, and caseloads and processes within the team have been set in a way that recognises that such an approach takes time.

As part of this team you will supervise and support newly qualified and student social workers as well as missing children coordinators who work with children and young people that have been victims of or are at risk from a range of exploitative situations. You will be responsible for undertaking complex assessments and managing a small caseload alongside your supervisory responsibilities. You will report into the Adolescent Team manager and will have a passion for working with complex and often resistant adolescents but be rewarded by being part of a very supportive and dynamic team. 

Special Requirements for this Post

We welcome applications from qualified and experienced candidates. You will need to have a Social Work degree or DipSW, completed your ASYE and have three years post qualifying experience. You will need to hold a current Social Work England registration. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and a comprehensive screening process will be undertaken on successful applicants including an Enhanced Children’s Department of Barring Services check.

About You

We are recruiting a dedicated, passionate, senior social worker who can engage and work well with adolescents and enjoys working with teenagers. If you want to help improve the life experience of children and families involved in all forms of exploitation, then this job is for you.

You will have a sound understanding of adolescents development and need to have a good understanding of contextual safeguarding, exploitation and a successful track record of developing good working relationships with partner agencies. Ideally you will have some experience of working with young men who have been involved in gangs and victims of criminal exploitation who may have been involved in county lines.

You will have experience of supporting students and newly qualified colleagues and have attained or be willing to undertake the Practice Educator Award.

About Us

Barking and Dagenham is a forward thinking and innovative borough and has won the “Council of the Year” Award for the last two years. Within Children’s Care and Support we are committed to putting the heart back into social work, supported by our relational practice model, to ensure the child’s lived experience takes centre stage. We have worked hard to support our staff through our extensive training and development programme, offer promotional opportunities and have seen our rates of agency social workers reduce greatly as a result of this.

We need committed individuals to support us in the delivery of these aims and to become part of our team to make a difference to our children and families. In return we offer a competitive pay package, £2.5k recruitment and retention allowance, generous pension and relocation package, annual leave up to 30 days, investment in your learning and development as well as a commitment to your wellbeing. To find out more about our social work please visit https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/social-worker-jobs. 

If you like the sound of moving to an authority where social workers are truly valued, get in touch with us today for a confidential discussion about this post by emailing socialcarerecruitment@lbbd.gov.uk and we will get back to you within 48 hours.

We are currently reviewing our pay and benefits offer. The details in this advert reflect the offer that is in place at the time of this recruitment campaign.

Shortlisted/successful applicants will be advised of any changes as and when the review has been implemented.