Senior Social Worker - Harm Outside ; HOTH Team

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Social Worker to join our HOTH Team on a 12-month fixed-term basis.

The HOTH Team plays a critical role in delivering North Somerset's new and evolving Harm Outside the Home (HOH) Strategy, which focuses on protecting children and young people from risks that occur beyond the family home, including child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation, serious youth violence, peer-on-peer harm, missing episodes and other contextual safeguarding concerns.

As we launch our new strategy, we are looking to strengthen the team's specialist social work expertise. The successful candidate will bring significant experience of working with adolescents affected by exploitation, contextual safeguarding concerns and extra-familial harm, helping to ensure the team can operate confidently and effectively within this complex and fast-moving area of practice.

This role has been specifically created to enhance professional capacity within the HOTH Team and across the wider partnership. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in providing professional leadership, specialist advice and safeguarding expertise, ensuring that children and young people receive timely, coordinated and effective interventions.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner seeking a specialist role where they can influence strategic development, strengthen multi-agency practice and help shape North Somerset's approach to Harm Outside the Home.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

A valid driving licence and own transport, or the ability to provide an alternative suitable method of travel, is an essential condition of this role.

This position is currently based at our Town Hall office in Western-Super-Mare. This will be at Weston-Super-Mare or elsewhere within North Somerset.

• Hold and manage a complex caseload of children and young people experiencing, or at risk of, exploitation, serious youth violence, missing episodes and other Harm Outside the Home concerns.
• Undertake high-quality assessments, planning and interventions in line with statutory responsibilities, safeguarding procedures and contextual safeguarding principles.
• Provide specialist advice, consultation and guidance to social work colleagues and partner agencies in relation to exploitation, extra-familial harm and adolescent safeguarding.
• Support practitioners across Children's Services and the wider partnership to develop effective responses to emerging risks and complex safeguarding concerns.
• Contribute to the coordination and delivery of multi-agency safeguarding responses, ensuring children and young people receive timely and effective support.
• Lead on developing robust safety plans for children and young people at risk of Harm Outside the Home, drawing on a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach.
• Promote and support contextual safeguarding and disruption activity aimed at reducing risks and improving outcomes for vulnerable adolescents.
• Build effective relationships with key partners including Police, Education, Health, Youth Justice, Community Safety and voluntary sector organisations.
• Contribute to the successful implementation and embedding of North Somerset's Harm Outside the Home Strategy through high-quality practice and partnership working.
• Act as a role model for good practice, supporting learning, reflection and continuous professional development within the team.

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend…