Consultant Social Worker

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Suffolk County Council is seeking a Consultant Social Worker to join the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children team. This role involves supervising social workers, managing cases, and ensuring effective service delivery for vulnerable young individuals. The position offers flexible working hours, competitive salary, and numerous professional development opportunities.

Benefits

29 days annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme membership

Travel and health benefits

Performance-related annual pay progression

Training and career development opportunities

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Current registration with Social Work England.
• Understanding of safeguarding concerns related to UASC.
• Experience with complex case management and oversight.

Responsibilities

• Assist Practice Managers in supervising Social Workers and case management.
• Assess needs and risks associated with Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.
• Liaise with the Home Office and stakeholders regarding asylum matters.

Skills

Communication

Organisation

Education

Professional qualification at graduate level

Job description

• Suffolk County Council - Constantine House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2DH - Community based
• £42,367 - £45,595 plus £3500 per annum (pro rata for part time) plus 3 extra days annual leave
• 37 hours per week - Flexible working options available
• Permanent

We're focused on making a meaningful difference to communities across Suffolk. How? By listening to our people learning from what they say and creating a culture of mutual respect, where everyone works together to achieve great things. As a Consultant Social Worker in the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) team you'll be as keen to collaborate and build a bright future as we are. So, to make a positive impact, connect with us and connect with a fantastic career.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

Consultant Social Workers will assist Practice Managers in the supervision of Social Workers, Personal Advisors, students etc, have responsibility for management decisions within casework they supervise (and team functioning in the absence of the Practice Manager or as delegated by the Practice Manager), and support the management of the team in respect of systems, workloads, quality of practice, service delivery and development, and effective engagement with internal and external partners. Consultant Social Workers will generally have reduced case responsible worker roles.

• supporting Social Workers and Persons Advisors with their client's asylum applications and appeals
• assess the needs and risks associated with UASC, in particular with complex cases where additional oversight and risk management is needed
• identify the placement needs of UASC and liaise with placement/contracts teams
• attend contract review meetings with our 4x semi-independent accommodation providers
• liaise with the Home Office and National Transfer Scheme regarding new referrals to ensure a steady workflow by resolving asylum discrepancies/anomalies
• ensuring services are provided or arranged proportionate to their needs including for clients placed out of county and in foster care
• management cover and supervision of Social Workers and Persons Advisors with care leaver responsibility
• chair professionals' meetings with key stakeholders, such as Border Force, Refugee Support Services and Modern Slavery Police.

You will need:

• suitable professional qualification at graduate level and a current registration with Social Work England
• excellent communication skills with a commitment to listening to UASC around challenging topics such as family loss, mental health difficulties, substance misuse and criminality
• a thorough understanding of safeguarding concerns and specific risks associated with UASC and adult care leavers
• good organisation skills and competency with computer systems; paperwork and case recordings.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (docx) . If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

We are a team with a specialism in Immigration matters. Our mission is to help vulnerable people overcome adversity and trauma. We also facilitate our client's asylum applications in hope of gaining their legal status to remain in the UK.

Everyone in the team is passionate and driven to help young people rebuild their lives after experienced atrocities abroad. Our clients arrive here unaccompanied and often without the ability to speak English. This makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination.

You will have access to training/courses specific to UASC and care leavers. Regular supervision and opportunity to shadow team members and opportunities to contribute and develop processes for our UASC / carer leaver cohort. You will be able to grow your expertise in Immigration matters relating UASC.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report (suffolk.gov.uk) .

For more information

Please contact Aimee Burch by emailing [e-mail] or Kathryn Sidoli at [e-mail] for a casual conversation.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (docx) .

Step 2 - Click Apply Now' to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload asupporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the Person Profile' section of theJPP.

You should use the Supporting Statement template .

Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4.

Step 4 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing [e-mail] or calling 03456 014412.If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 19 June 2025.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .