Referral Officer (MASH)

Referral Officer x3 – MASH 

Up to £28,992

Permanent – Full time

Newham Dockside, E16 2QU

ABOUT US

Newham Together – The best place for children and young people.

Children's social care at Newham is on a journey of transformation that will put people at the heart of everything we do and create opportunities for everyone. Our improvement journey is well underway and we are looking for exceptional Referral Officers to join our Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). We're big on career development, learning, and training; and our positive organisational change offers a fantastic career development opportunity for those who are driven and dedicated to a career within children’s social care.

We want to be a centre of excellence for Children’s social care by 2023, and the foundations of the  clearly articulated ‘Newham Together’ model (based on Co-Production, Curiosity, Compassion, Confidence, Clarity and Community) along with a Practice Learning Framework and a Social Care Academy are now in place to help us get there.

Apply now, and be part of our success.

ABOUT THE JOB

The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) deals with referrals from professionals and members of the public who have concerns about the welfare or safety of a child or young person. The MASH ensures that the local authority acts quickly and appropriately to ensure the best decisions are achieved for children; and provides a delivery framework that enables partner agencies to work together to support and safeguard children by sharing and analysing information.

Referral Officers are the first point of contact when referrals come into the service, working alongside MASH Social Workers and reporting to a Practice Leader. They ensure that timely, appropriate, and effective decisions are made when referrals are received by collating information accurately and liaising with relevant stakeholders. Enquiries and referrals may be in the form of telephone calls, emails, online requests or referrals from external professionals and organisations.

Referral officers will share and discuss information received with social workers, practice leaders, and partner organisations based in the MASH before progressing the referral by directing it to the appropriate agency. Referral officers will seek and collate information from databases and other professionals attending multi agency discussions.

For more information about the role please refer to the job description.

ABOUT YOU

 ‘People at the heart of everything we do’

We're looking for confident and efficient Referral Officers who are passionate about their work and genuinely care about improving the lives of children and young people.

You will have experience in a similar role and be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different agencies and how they work together to safeguard children. You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, including excellent telephone manner and the ability to draw and identify important information from conversations.

You will be highly organised and be able to confidently prioritise work based on information received. You will be comfortable building strong working relationships with colleagues and partner organisations, understanding the importance of collaborative working in achieving the best outcomes for our children.

For more information about who we are looking for, please refer to the person specification (within the job description).

Please view Referral Officer jd

OUR OFFER

We've been working hard to make Newham a great place to work.

We will offer you:

• A competitive package of up to £28,992.

• Flexible working arrangements and the opportunity to work from home.

• Smarter Working with new modern technology.

• 'Newham Together' - a positive, nurturing and collaborative work environment built on trust.  

• Excellent transport links to the rest of the capital.

• Permanent and stable senior leadership with a consistent vision.

• Wellbeing service, leisure and discount benefits.

• Travel season ticket loan, cycle scheme, Local Authority pension.

• We will be a ‘social work centre of excellence’ by 2023.

For an informal discussion about being a social worker in MASH or Assessment at Newham, please contact Oye Ekelemu; MASH Service Manager: oyewo.ekelemu@newham.gov.uk.  

TO APPLY

Please apply through our recruitment portal ensuring that you submit a CV and Supporting Statement.

The supporting statement should demonstrate how you meet the relevant requirements listed in the person specification.

Shortlisting decisions will be based on candidates' relevant experience and on candidates' suitability for the role in line with the person specification, as described in their supporting statement.

Closing date: 13/12/2020 23:59.

Assessment and Interviews: 21st and 22nd December

Whilst affected by COVID-19, interviews will be facilitated by video, using Skype or Zoom.

Additional Information

The London Borough of Newham is a Disability Confident employer. Candidates who declare that they have a disability in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and meet the essential criteria as specified in the Job Profile will be guaranteed an interview.

Priority consideration on all advertised roles will be given to London Borough of Newham Redeployees.

The London Borough of Newham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Please be aware that a Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) check will be required for any position with access to these groups under the provision of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

In addition, the Authority reserves the right  to request employees undertake a basic disclosure check (Disclosure Scotland) where required for the role this includes  anyone who has access to (or information obtained directly from) a government database, or has a GCSX account. These posts will be required to have a Basic Disclosure Scotland check as per the requirements of BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standards).

Please attach your supporting statement, explaining in no more than x2 A4 sides why and how you meet the criteria for this role.