Emergency Duty Team Senior Practitioner

Responsibilities

• Ensure provision of out‑of‑hours emergency response and/or intervention for children, young people, families, vulnerable adults, and other agencies to address safeguarding concerns and reduce risks until normal office hours resume.
• Provide out‑of‑hours advice and guidance to professionals working with vulnerable adults, children, young people, and families.
• Act as the first point of contact for professionals, children, families, and vulnerable adults or members of the public making an emergency out‑of‑hours referral to statutory services.
• Contribute to and apply the Council's strategy to support vulnerable adults, children, and families through out‑of‑hours emergency responses.
• Deliver services in line with Oxfordshire's principles and values of working with partners, vulnerable adults, children, and families, and within the relevant legislative framework.

• Qualified social worker with Social Work England registration.
• Experience gained from a statutory child protection service.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing demands, think reflectively and analytically, and make proportionate decisions with a clear focus on the best interests of children and vulnerable adults.

• Flexible working culture with options for flexi‑time, job sharing, nine‑day fortnights, and annualised hours.
• Holiday allowance increases up to 32 days with the option to purchase additional days.
• Access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of salary.
• Retail discounts and enhanced family‑friendly policies, including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.
• Salary uplift of 15% for working unsociable hours.

We are a Disability Confident employer and offer a guaranteed interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. We also provide guaranteed interviews for care leavers with further education, apprentices, and veterans transitioning to civilian life. We are committed to safeguarding, promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults, and ensuring our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

The Emergency Duty Team operates from Barton Children’s Centre and covers all out‑of‑hours for children, families, and vulnerable adults in Oxfordshire.