Social Worker - Child Protection

Join us as a Child Protection Social Worker and be part of our new way of working with families within the child protection space.

Here in Dorset, we’ve been recognised for our fantastic work with children, young people, and families, by being selected as one of only three initial Families First for Children’s Pathfinder sites nationally. This fantastic opportunity comes with central government grant funding and support which recognises the scale and ambition of the work we need to carry out.

Our teams are testing and influencing this innovative new direction for social care ahead of a nationwide rollout.  We are ensuring that families are co-designing plans with our Quality Assurance Reviewing Officer (QARO) colleagues supporting in an independent capacity, taking time to discuss processes, explaining jargon and maintaining contact with families.

As a Child Protection Social Worker you’ll chair an updated child protection conference, centred around greater collaboration and cohesion between all participants but keeping the family at the heart of the process.  You’ll have access to our multi agency Safeguarding Together teams, our ‘in house’ multi-disciplinary team after a successful pilot, which are replicated in each locality.  

We have a strong emphasis on professional development with a variety of training on offer, including motivational interviewing, restorative practice, and strength-based approaches. Supervision is incredibly important to us with individual and group sessions regularly scheduled. 

As a service, we periodically come together at Partnership Workforce Events where we are  encouraged to think creatively, query existing practices, and devise innovative approaches.

Your wellbeing is a priority – you will find access to talking therapies, a network of Mental Health Champions, and workshops facilitated by our dedicated Employee Wellbeing Team.

Dorset Council areas are divided into localities - East Dorset & Purbeck, West Dorset & Dorchester, Chesil (Weymouth & Portland) and North Dorset.  Each locality offers a slightly different geographical landscape however you can expect the same warm welcome and share the space with early help, SEND, education, business support and inclusion teams.  

If you do have a preference, please indicate which area you would like to be based on your application.

Join us in Dorset and make a real difference to the lives of children and young people in our beautiful county.

What you will be doing

As a Lead Child Protection Practitioner, you will be working in a multi-agency child protection team with families who are subject to complex Child in Need plans, Child Protection plans, pre-proceedings, and court proceedings to:

• deliver the service in accordance with statutory responsibilities set out in the Children Act 1989 and other relevant legislation
• undertake assessments of children’s needs in accordance with Directorate policies and procedures
• create effective plans which are reviewed in a timely manner
• promote and safeguard the welfare of children
• provide support, information, and advice to families to help parents become more self-reliant
• prepare reports for courts and various meetings, presenting to a variety of professionals in different settings, and attend to give evidence in legal proceedings as required
• chair multi-agency meetings that support the development and review of plans
• maintain essential records, input, and maintain records on the core computer system as required
• work alongside the Lead Family Help Practitioner, providing child protection expertise and leading on statutory work
• undertake direct work with children and families to progress the plan
• undertake specialist assessments once training has been provided

About you

You will have a Social Work qualification, be registered with Social Work England, and be able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post. You will need to have completed your ASYE and have a minimum of 2 years post-qualification experience in Children’s Services.

You will be able to demonstrate a high level of post-qualification knowledge of statutory social care services, with experience of delivering complex court proceedings in a variety of court settings. We would love to hear from you.

Due to the current need, applications can only be accepted from candidates who already have the right to work in the UK.

This role is full time at 37 hours but flexible working will be considered.

This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.

See the children’s social worker framework.

You must:

• have a degree in social work/Occupational Therapy or equivalent
• be able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post
• have the right to work in the UK

Friends and Family Referral Scheme

The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you mention them when asked on your application form. They'll give you all the information you need.

Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title.

Relocation expenses package

A generous relocation package is payable, of which up to £8,000 (of HMRC eligible elements) are free of tax. We can offer you help to move whether you are looking to buy or rent, depending on your circumstances.

Our package includes:

• an initial advance of up to £2,500 payable when you start
• help towards fees associated with buying/selling (up to £6,500)
• an option to receive help towards your rent or mortgage in the first two years

We’re passionate about making Dorset a great place to live, work and visit. Working for us should be no exception.

At Dorset Council we:

• provide more than 450 services to over 300,000 residents
• have ambitious aspirations
• are excited about our future
• care about Dorset and all the people who live here
• know that all roles make a difference and that our employees are key to our success

You will:

• have access to a range of employee benefits
• be part of an organisation that supports each other to grow and succeed
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression

We are challenging ourselves to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation. We recognise that recruitment and inclusion of individuals with diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds will bring real strength to the council and our communities. We have a commitment to equality and welcome applications from everyone.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We offer an interview to everyone who declares a disability and meets the essential criteria for the role.

We are keen to make our interviews accessible. Let us know on your job application if you have a disability and need any reasonable adjustments.

We also look for applicants who share our commitment to our behaviours. We will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process.

If appointed, the personal information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found at https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn.

This role is UK based and we will need to establish your Right to Work as part of the appointment process.

We use generic job descriptions and person specifications. This means the job title on any attachments may differ from the job title in the advert. We may provide specific information in a context statement if relevant.

Find out more about how to apply.