Social Worker - Duty and Assessment Team

About the Role

Northamptonshire Children's Trust is looking for experienced Social Workers to join the Duty and Assessment Service-a fast-paced, frontline team at the heart of safeguarding children and young people across the county.

DAAT acts as the single point of contact for all safeguarding concerns, receiving referrals via MASH and progressing them through assessment. This is a dynamic and impactful service, where timely decision-making and direct work with families makes a real difference.

You'll be working in one of six well-structured teams made up of:

Team Manager
Advanced Practitioner
Social Workers & Newly Qualified Social Workers
Family Support Workers This is a service that moves at pace, with clear expectations:

Child in Need visits within 5 days
Child Protection visits within 24 hours (or same day where required)

Why Join The Team?

Stable and supportive leadership - experienced, long-standing managers who know the service inside out
Manageable caseloads - capped at 35, typically 25-30, with family-based allocation (often around 5 families per worker)
Structured way of working - clear processes and strong team support
Geographical consistency - opportunity to work within an allocated patch long-term (e.g. Corby, Daventry, Northampton)
Training opportunities - access to development via overflow from permanent staff training

Working Arrangements

Operates on a 6-week duty cycle
Full office presence required during duty week
Flexibility outside of duty weeks, with local presence required for visits

Experience/

Skills:

Have a minimum of 2 years DAAT experience
Are confident operating in a fast-paced frontline environment
Can make clear, timely and defensible decisions
Are passionate about safeguarding children and supporting families

If you're an experienced DAAT Social Worker looking for a supportive, structured service where you can make an immediate impact, we'd love to hear from you