School Based Social Worker/ Assistant Team Manager

Job content

Contractual Status

Fixed term upto 12 months
Do you have a passion for social work and early help? Are you an experienced and dynamic individual? Are you committed to providing excellent services to vulnerable children and families? Do you want to be part of an innovative new initiative?

If this is you - then the new project we are developing with Park End Primary School might be the place for you!

This is an exciting project and is based on the DfE’s ‘Social Workers in Schools Programme’ where we will be embedding a Social Work Assistant Team Manager and an Early Help Senior Practitioner into one of our primary schools to respond to concerns earlier, improving the experiences and outcomes of children and their families. Through this project we will work differently with vulnerable children and their families to safely reduce risk and support families to stay together.

As a school based staff, you will be embedded into a primary school, and will work closely with the existing pastoral and safeguarding team to build relationships, develop ways of working and deepen understanding of safeguarding and child protection within the school community. You will carry statutory cases whilst retaining capacity to provide more help and support at the earliest opportunity to prevent escalation through a whole family approach.

These school based roles are initially funded for one year and we are seeking existing staff who would be interested in a secondment opportunity. Although it is a school-based role you will be required to work whole time and this opportunity is not term time only.

Whilst you will be embedded within a primary school, you will still be part of Middlesbrough Childrens Social Care service. The Social Work Assistant Team Manager will provide case management supervision to the Early Help Senior Practitioner and will receive supervision themselves from the Manager of Middlesbrough Multi Agency Childrens Hub. Our Centre for Practice Excellence will also facilitate group supervision with the school pastoral and safeguarding team to share concerns, good practice and to build and provide a strong supervision model.

To support this project we are looking for an Social Work Assistant Team Manager and an Early Help Senior Practitioner who will bring a comprehensive knowledge and skill-base to varied and complex cases. You must be driven and ambitious, both for yourself and for the children and families you work with and have the confidence to work autonomously. An enthusiastic team player, you must be able to use your initiative and champion improvements in practice. You must also be able to develop strong relationships with school colleagues and other partner agencies.

In return we will support you to succeed.

As an organisation we are committed to our staff receiving the opportunities they need to develop and flourish at all stages of their career. We will offer a comprehensive range of training and professional opportunities that evolves and develops to meet the needs of our workforce at all stages of their career, all overseen and planned by our Centre for Practice Excellence.

The above post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.