We are looking for an enthusiastic and innovative social worker who has completed their assessed and supported year in employment, and passionate about working with vulnerable teenagers across County Durham to join our Adolescent Safeguarding and Exploitation Team (ASET) team. Our ASET team support 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 a great opportunity to join us in a new post which has been added to our existing fully staffed and experienced team of 8. WHAT DO OFSTED SAY ABOUT US? You will be joining us at a fantastic time. Inspectors have just judged our Children’s Services as outstanding. You can read the full report here https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50276863 WHAT IS INVOLVED? This is a rewarding role where you will support teenagers who are at risk of, or experiencing, harm outside of the family home, including child exploitation, mental health, radicalisation, and homelessness. You will form positive working relationships with young people and negotiate and advocate on their behalf to achieve positive outcomes. You will be working with only a limited number of young people at any one time to ensure you can give them the support they need. And you will use the Signs of Safety social work model to help understand young people’s experiences. You will work closely with other teams including Child Exploitation, Supporting Solutions and Rapid Response, and with partner agencies including police and CAMHS. We encourage you to contact Donna Atkinson, Social Work Consultant by email at donna.atkinson3@durham.gov.uk or Sue Thornton, Team Manager by email at sue.thornton@durham.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the post. HOW WILL I BE SUPPORTED? When you work in Durham we put you first – you will join a fantastic team where you will be valued, and your wellbeing will be a priority for us. Your team manager will provide you with support and regular reflective supervision, and you will also have support from a social work consultant and through monthly Signs of Safety group supervision. We will support you to have a great work/life balance. We encourage hybrid working and flexible working options including compressed hours. We will invest in your future. When you join us you will benefit from a comprehensive induction and training programme, and as the largest local authority of the North East we can offer you lots of opportunities to develop your career whether you see your future in practice or in a management role. You can find out more about children’s Social Work in Durham on our webpage. WHAT WILL I NEED? You will need: Degree in social work or equivalent social work qualification, e.g. Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work (PDDipSW) Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW), Diploma in Social Work (DipSW), Certificate in Social Services (CSS) Current Social Work England Registration Successful completion of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)Please refer to the attached person specification Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. BENEFITS AND REWARDS We can offer you a range of employee benefits including competitive salaries, a generous leave entitlement of up to 32 days, a government pension scheme and various flexible and hybrid working options (benefits are subject to individual Terms and Conditions). Find out more: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits SOCIAL MEDIA Don’t see the perfect role for you right now? Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on new opportunities at Durham County Council! Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dccjobsandcareers/ Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/durhamcountycounciljobsandcareers HYBRID WORKING Durham County Council currently operates a hybrid working policy where a model of 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote will apply. This model is pro-rated for part time roles and arrangements are at managers discretion, alternatively you can work all of your contracted hours within the workplace if you prefer. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and recognise the value of difference, having a diverse talented workforce brings new ideas and new perspectives, which will facilitate growth and improvements to services. As a Disability Confident Leader, we encourage applications from disabled people and can provide support throughout the recruitment process, for more information please refer to the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion page on our website. INTERVIEWS Interviews are scheduled to be held week commencing 9th June 2025. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. HOW TO APPLY In line with the County Council's Recruitment and Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CVs. Applications must be submitted on-line via the Northeast Jobs portal. Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of your application form to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed. We collect personal information from you when you register with North East Jobs and make an application. Details on how we process your personal data is available in our Privacy Notice. https://www.durham.gov.uk/media/24645/Privacy-notice-human-resources/pdf/PrivacyNotice-HR.pdf PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION FOR THIS POST WILL BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS THAT YOU HAVE REGISTERED WITH NORTH EAST JOBS, INCLUDING YOUR INVITE TO INTERVIEW IF YOU ARE SHORTLISTED. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL AFTER THE CLOSING DATE FOR NOTIFICATION FROM DONOTREPLY@NORTHEASTJOBS.ORG.UK AS YOU WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED BY ANY OTHER MEANS. PLEASE ENSURE YOU CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL. VPRS/161