You will benefit from working in a locality team with a strong senior leadership influence who have clear outcome focussed goals centred around the safety and wellbeing of children. You will work alongside Social Work colleagues, family work colleagues, an enhanced practitioner, social work consultant and team manager – small geographically based teams who work well together.
Signs of safety is the embedded practice framework, Liquid Logic is our case recording system, and you will have access to a range of training and resources to support you. You will receive regular reflective supervision and access to a range of platforms and good practice to support your work including signs of safety champions and a share point site. You will be given the opportunity to work autonomously and creatively within a team environment. We always want the best for our children and young people – we want to build safety into their natural networks whilst being clear on risk. Our agency assignments are all about increasing capacity and we acknowledge that you can share your wisdom with less experienced colleagues in teams developing that nurturing environment whilst supported by our Local Authority solicitors and close links with our One point early help colleagues and our innovative family hubs. In Durham we have had a social work academy supporting NQSW’s since 2016 and we really invest in ‘growing our own’ so you will be able to share your practice experience with students, NQSW, trainees and NQSW’s in the teams as they learn their craft .
Durham children's social care were also awarded GOLD as supportive employer of the year in 2023/3 at the National Social Work awards recognising our investment in staff care and support approach which includes flexible and agile working, a wellbeing portal, staff networks for our Black, brown or global majority staff, LGBT staff, staff who were in the armed forces and networks for those who are disabled, carers or who are experiencing menopause, health assured staff care employee assistance scheme, group supervision and a really brave training offer – we know as agency colleagues really understand the importance of being able to access this alongside permanent colleagues to ensure your CPD log for Social work England is up to date and, for those that join us and want to settle in a permanent role we will make that easy for you.
We have a range of specialist countywide services working with children and families to enrich the work we undertake and support you in your role alongside your family work colleagues: • The full circle team is a therapeutic trauma and attachment service with links directly into CAMHS • Our dedicated supporting solutions services including family group conferencing, family time workers, edge of care workers, missing workers, exploitation workers, a dedicated Adolescent Safeguarding team and a rapid response team working with children with complex mental health needs • Our home and family finder teams who look to identify families and homes for children in care who cannot safely remain in the care of parents • Our connected carers team and SGO team who support our wonderful kinship carers • A dedicated pre-birth team • A care leavers service • An established social work academy and direct work resources in teams .
In our recent inspection in March 2025 it was highlighted that "Social workers told inspectors that Durham is a great place to work. Their words and actions convey a sense of belonging and they view Durham as their employer of choice