Our Vacancies

Dudley Children’s Social Care launched the Family Safeguarding Model in the summer of 2023.

Social work teams are integrated with a range of partner agencies such as Probation; Black Country Women’s Aid; “Change, Grow, Live”, Here4Youth); CAB and CAMHS and voluntary organisation partners such as Barnardo’s and Phase Trust.

The integrated multi-disciplinary and multi-agency model of service delivery is making positive difference to children and their families.

We are looking for an experienced team manager to join our dynamic and ambitious management team.

There is a team manager vacancy in the Family Safeguarding Service, which supports children from birth to 12 years old.

We are Restorative in our practice and we work with children and their families, co-producing the care plan that meet the needs of children who are at risk within the family home as well as harm outside of home.

We always encourage and support innovative practice to ensure the most appropriate, robust and holistic support is offered to meet each child’s needs. A key part of this role will be your ability to positively impact the lives of children and young people.

Hours: 37 per week

Location:- Cable Plaza, Waterfront West, Brierley Hill, Dudley, DY5 1LW with free onsite car parking facilities

You will:-

Be responsible for the leadership and management of a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency integrated social work team, ensuring that children receive the right services that safeguard and promote their welfare;
Provide operational management and leadership and build effective partnerships with a range of partner agencies;
Actively promote and lead permanence planning for children and are knowledgeable about court work;
Work effectively with two other team managers and contribute to the implementation of the Service Plan by promoting a supportive, professional, learning culture, empowering others and setting and maintaining high and measurable standards of practice;
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children; therefore the post is subject to medical clearance and an enhanced DBS check

If this sounds like you, we look forward to receiving your application!

We reserve the right to close vacancies prior to their advertised date if we receive a large number of applications.

For more information on the role contact karen.g.johnson@dudley.gov.uk

Are you an exemplary practitioner with a commitment to improving social work practice to make a real difference in the lives of children, young people and families?

Join our dynamic team at the Centre for Professional Practice in Dudley Children's Services! We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, committed and experienced Advanced Social Work Practitioner to join the Centre for Professional Practice.

At Dudley Children’s Services, we aim to provide the best service we possibly can to make a real difference to the lives of our more vulnerable children and young people. This is our ethos – children first and at the heart of all we do. We also recognise our responsibility as a service to ensure practitioners have all the learning and development opportunities they need to build upon their skills, and deliver the most effective practice. And this is what Dudley’s Centre for Professional Practice is all about – creating good quality learning and development opportunities in a supportive environment, and striving to improve practice.

About the Centre for Professional Practice

The Team consists of a Service Manager, 2 Team Managers and 4 Advanced Social Work Practitioners who support the Principal Social Work function. The Centre for Professional Practice is supported by a Co-ordinator, business support, an Apprentice and 3 Participation Officers who work to the Directorate Wide participation strategy.

The Team are responsible for managing the audit and quality assurance processes and driving implementation of the Practice Framework within Children’s Services. The Service coordinates the training and development needs of practitioners within Children’s Services. The Team manage Student Social Work placements and the Assessed and Supported First Year in Social Work arrangements.

What Can we Offer You?

A collaborative and supportive work environment.
Opportunities for professional development and growth.
The chance to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children and young people.
A generous holiday allowance and special leave provisions.
The Local Government Pension Scheme.
All new employees receive a comprehensive induction.
A summary of all benefits for staff is attached.
Join us in our mission to ensure high-quality and consistent service delivery in Children's Social Care. Apply today and be a part of a team dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for children and young people!

For an informal discussion please contact Anisha Gill, Team Manager- Centre for Professional Practice at anisha.gill@dudley.gov.uk

Salary: Grade 10, £41,511 to £44,711 per annum plus £7,000 per annum Market Forces Supplement (salary and grade subject to experience)

For an informal discussion please contact Edward Wong, Head of Service – Adolescent Safeguarding Edward.wong@dudley.gov.uk

Dudley Children’s Social Care has implemented the Hertfordshire Family Safeguarding Model across social work teams. It is a strengths-based, whole-family approach to supporting children and their families, bringing together, and co-locate with, multi-disciplinary partners, working intensively with families to reduce the risks of children coming into care or becoming subject to child protection planning.

Dudley’s Children’s Social Care is Restorative in its practice approach, using Motivational Interviewing skills to bring about changes in children and their families, whilst acknowledging their strengths and that of their network.

The Adolescent Safeguarding Service works with children and young people from the age of 13 upwards and comprises of 6 social work teams and 1 Child Exploitation Team that sits within the Dudley Exploitation Hub which consists of the Missing Team, Police Officers and is supported by Health and Education Professionals.

The Service consists of Social Workers, Youth Workers, Substance Misuse Workers, IDVA and voluntary organisation partners such as Barnardo’s and Phase Trust, Citizens Advice Bureau and CAMHS. Integral to the Service is the support provided to children who go missing from home. In addition, the Service works closely with a range of external and internal partners such as the Youth Justice Service and Housing.

We are currently looking for Social Workers to join our dynamic and ambitious Service.

The successful candidate will display knowledge of Extra-Familial Harm and a high level of determination to ensure young people are able to remain living within their family networks in order to achieve positive outcomes.

We work with children and their families, co-producing the care plan that meets the needs of children who are at risk of child criminal and/or sexual exploitation. We always encourage and support innovative practice to ensure the most appropriate, robust and holistic support is offered to meet each child’s needs. A key part of this role will be your ability to positively impact the lives of children and young people.

We aim to create an inclusive working environment where everyone can achieve a healthy work/life balance. We are serious about our responsibility for personal and professional development and look to ensure that staff are equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience to succeed. The Councils Benefit Package is designed to boost and maintain the health, wellbeing and general quality of life of all our staff.

Security and support at work

We offer a wide range of benefits, to ensure that staff are paid fairly for the work they undertake and have the flexibility to enjoy a great work/life balance. We offer:

A competitive salary package, including a career progression scheme
A range of flexible working options, including flexitime and home-working, dependent on service requirements
A generous holiday allowance and special leave provisions
The Local Government Pension Scheme
A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme – we are committed to supporting you
Bullying and Harassment and Dignity at Work policies to protect your everyday working life
Your professional future

We invest in our staff, to enable them to develop personal and professional skills and progress in their Social Work Career.

All new employees receive a comprehensive induction, training and development programme, with regular opportunities to update their skills and achieve their full potential. We welcome fresh thinking, recognise real talent and encourage innovation and ingenuity.

We train staff at all levels. We have a huge range of training opportunities, through the Centre for Professional Practice Service. We encourage and support Continual Professional Development, with opportunities to attend external training, secondment opportunities, and earn extra qualifications through the Apprenticeship Levy.

We are recruiting Qualified Social Workers with a minimum of 12 Months post-qualifying experience.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced social work manager with a commitment to participation and restorative practice to become our next IRO Service Manager. Working as part of the Safeguarding, Practice and Quality Assurance management team you will be operationally responsible for the IRO team and for the IRO manager functions set out in the IRO Handbook. You will also contribute to wider service development and regional networks. We are a Family Safeguarding authority, and are developing our approach to seeking out safe opportunities for children to be cared for within their network or returned to their parents.

Children's Services are based in modern offices at the Waterfront, Dudley, with free parking. We have a strong CPD offer for staff including Research in Practice subscription and membership of the WM Teaching Partnership.

For more information on the role contact cornelia.heaney@dudley.gov.uk

Salary: Grade 10, £41,511.00 to £44,711.00 per annum plus £7,000 per annum Market Forces Supplement (salary subject to experience)

Are you ….

Enthusiastic and passionate with a genuine care for helping and supporting children and families?
Keen to make a difference to our children and work creatively to help keep families together wherever safely possible?
A team player who wants to be part of our multi-agency team of driven practitioners who work hard to achieve best outcomes for our children?
Someone who can thrive under pressure as part of a fast-paced environment?
Someone who has ambition, creativity, and a desire to learn?
Do you want to be supported to excel in your career through our career progression programme?
Our Family Safeguarding Service is a friendly, supportive team made up of Social Workers, Advanced Practitioners, Child Practitioners, Drug and Alcohol Workers, Probation Officers, Domestic Abuse Workers, and Mental Health Practitioners, all striving to make a difference and achieve the best outcomes for our children.

We believe our children deserve the consistency and stability in the support provided. Our service works with families right from the Front Door as part of initial assessments, supporting children on child in need plans, child protection plans, pre-proceedings, and care proceedings. Our service will give you the opportunity to expand your skills, knowledge, and confidence within front line safeguarding practice, with the support of our committed and supportive management team.

Family Safeguarding is a whole family approach to working with children and families that supports parents to create sustained change for themselves and for their family. Together in Dudley we believe every family has a right to help and support for their children and our Family Safeguarding Programme supports Practitioners to creatively support families to recognise their strengths and be supported to overcome their difficulties.

If you are passionate about working with children, are motivated to make a difference, and have a desire to help and support others then we want to hear from you!

What can we offer you?

Dudley Family Safeguarding service is proud to have permanent Service Managers and Team Managers. Our managers will ensure you have regular supervisions to guide and develop your practice and help you achieve your career aspirations.

We are a service that embraces the skills and qualities that each of our social workers contribute to work together to drive best practice and keeping children at the heart of all we do.

Your development will be supported through our comprehensive training offer which includes support from our Centre for Professional Practice, career development, as well as internal and external training opportunities.

We offer a competitive salary, which includes the Market Forces Payment of £7000 per annum.

We offer a range of flexible working options, including flexitime and home-working, dependent on service requirements.

A generous holiday allowance and special leave provisions.

The Local Government Pension Scheme.

All new employees receive a comprehensive induction.

A summary of all benefits for staff is attached.

We are recruiting Qualified Social Workers with a minimum of 12 Months post-qualifying experience.

Dudley Children’s Social Care launched the Family Safeguarding Model in the summer of 2023.

Social work teams in the Adolescent Safeguarding Services are integrated with a range of partner agencies such as “Change, Grow, Live”, Here4U; CAB and voluntary sector partners such as Barnardo’s and Phase Trust.

The integrated multi-disciplinary and multi-agency model of service delivery is making positive difference to children and their families.

Moreover, integral to the Adolescent Safeguarding Service is the Child Exploitation and the Missing Team. The Service works very closely with the Youth Justice Team.

We are looking for an experienced team manager to join our dynamic and ambitious management team. The Teams support children from 13 to 17 years old.

We are Restorative in our practice approach and we work with children and their families, co-producing the care plan that meet the needs of children who are at risk within the family home as well as harm outside of home.

We always encourage and support innovative practice to ensure the most appropriate, robust and holistic support is offered to meet each child’s needs. A key part of this role will be your ability to positively impact the lives of children and young people.

Closing date for submission of application is midnight 25 June 2025.

Interview to take place in person at Cable Plaza on Monday, 30 June 2025.

Hours: 37 per week

You will:-

Be responsible for the leadership and management of a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency integrated social work team, ensuring that children receive the right services that safeguard and promote their welfare;

Provide operational management and leadership and build effective partnerships with a range of partner agencies;

Actively promote and lead permanence planning for children and are knowledgeable about court work;

Work effectively with other team managers and contribute to the implementation of the Service Plan by promoting a supportive, professional, learning culture, empowering others and setting and maintaining high and measurable standards of practice;

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children; therefore the post is subject to medical clearance and an enhanced DBS check.

If this sounds like you, we look forward to receiving your application.