School Social Worker & Deputy DSL

Are you a qualified Social Worker who is passionate about helping children, young people and families overcome barriers and achieve their potential? We are seeking an enthusiastic and compassionate School Social Worker and Deputy DSL to join our dedicated team. This is a unique opportunity to work directly with students and families, providing early intervention, safeguarding support and practical solutions that create lasting positive change.

Working across our school sites and within the community, you will play a vital role in protecting vulnerable children, strengthening family relationships and ensuring every young person has the support they need to thrive both in and out of education. If you are looking for a rewarding role where no two days are the same and where your expertise can genuinely change lives, we would love to hear from you.

The School Social Worker and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead will provide skilled, child-centred social-work support to students and families. The postholder will hold an agreed caseload, coordinate Early Help work, contribute to the assessment and management of safeguarding risk, and provide effective operational support to the school's safeguarding arrangements.

The postholder will work closely with students who have complex social, emotional and mental health needs, including looked-after children and students involved with statutory or Early Help services. They will undertake direct work, coordinate support and represent the school in relevant multi-agency meetings.

As a Deputy DSL, the postholder will respond to day-to-day safeguarding concerns, make referrals and take appropriate action in accordance with statutory guidance, school policy and local safeguarding procedures.

The Strategic Safeguarding and Wellbeing Lead retains strategic oversight of safeguarding, including quality assurance, policy development, complex-case oversight and supervision. The role will contribute specialist social-work advice to attendance and behaviour planning but will not hold strategic responsibility for attendance, behaviour or school culture

Essential qualifications and professional status

The successful candidate must have:

• · a recognised qualification in social work;
• · current registration with Social Work England;
• · evidence of continuing professional development;
• · completed suitable safeguarding training, or the ability to complete Deputy DSL training before undertaking unsupervised Deputy DSL duties; and
• · a commitment to maintaining all professional registration and training requirements.

The successful candidate must demonstrate:

• · substantial post-qualifying experience of safeguarding and child-and-family social work;
• · experience of assessing children's needs, strengths and risks;
• · experience of holding and prioritising a complex caseload;
• · experience of child-protection, child-in-need or comparable multi-agency work;
• · experience of working with looked-after children and understanding care-planning arrangements;
• · experience of Early Help, family support or preventative intervention;
• · experience of attending and contributing to statutory and multi-agency meetings;
• · experience of producing clear assessments, reports, plans, chronologies and case records;
• · direct work with children and young people who have experienced trauma, adversity or disrupted relationships; and
• · effective partnership work with parents, carers and professionals.

Essential knowledge

The successful candidate must understand:

• · statutory safeguarding responsibilities and the principles of current education safeguarding guidance;
• · thresholds for Early Help and statutory intervention;
• · the impact of abuse, neglect, exploitation, trauma and family adversity on children's development and…