Consultant Social Worker – Frontline

Are you an experienced children and families social worker keen to help develop the next generation of social workers in Durham? Are you passionate about working with vulnerable teenagers across County Durham? This brand new role could be the post for you!

About the role

We are expanding our very successful partnership with Frontline by creating a new hub in our Adolescent Safeguarding and Exploitation Team (ASET), which is growing significantly. Our ASET team supports young people who are at risk of, or experiencing, harm outside of the family home, including child exploitation, mental health, radicalisation, and homelessness.

This is an incredible opportunity to join us in a post which is one of a kind – the first hub based in a team with a focus on harm outside the home. As a Consultant Social Worker, you will hold a protected caseload and will have responsibility for a hub of typically five trainees, whom you will support, manage, and develop as they train to be social workers on the Approach Social Work programme. Your trainees will learn through observing your practice and gradually taking on more responsibility for working with the families you support. You will assess them throughout their first year on the programme and recommend if they should qualify as social workers at the end of the year.

You don’t need to already be a practice educator. You can work towards achieving stage two of the Practice Educator Professional Standards during your training. To develop your practice, you will participate in Frontline’s high-quality Consultant Social Worker Leadership Development Programme, delivered by top practice experts and systemic trainers.

Support

We are passionate about social work in County Durham and committed to providing a culture where good practice can flourish. You will benefit from high-quality professional supervision, a great induction, and access to our strong learning and development offer alongside the fantastic offer from Frontline.

Requirements

• You must be an experienced child and family social worker who is keen to nurture future social workers.
• Passionate about working with vulnerable teenagers across County Durham.

If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

Benefits

• Competitive salary: Grade 13 - £47,181 - £51,356 (pay award pending).
• Generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service).
• Membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable.
• Eligibility for a recruitment/retention allowance of £2,500 over 12 months (pro-rata for part-time workers). Payments are made in equal instalments across a 12-month period alongside your pay.
• If you are relocating to join us, removal, lodging, and separation expenses of up to £8,000 may be available if you live outside of County Durham and in excess of 30 miles in a straight line from your new base, along with other eligibility criteria.

Contact

To find out more about the role, contact Alexandra Botham, Relationship and Development Manager at Frontline, by email: alexandra.botham@thefrontline.org.uk.

For information about the ASET team, contact Sue Thornton, Team Manager, by email: sue.thornton@durham.gov.uk.

Learn more about the Frontline programme and the role of the Consultant Social Worker at: https://thefrontline.org.uk/develop-your-career/consultant-social-workers/.