Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Swindon Borough Council; Swindon; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Swindon Borough Council is seeking a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to join the Children and Families Team on a fixed-term contract until end March 2027. The role, 15 hours per week, requires SW England registration, a social work degree, and substantial post-qualifying experience in safeguarding.

You will provide professional and practice advice to the Council and its partners and manage allegations of abuse against adults in positions of trust across the authority.

Qualifications

• SW England registration and a degree in social work.
• Significant post-qualifying experience in children’s safeguarding.
• Excellent knowledge of child care legislation, policy and best practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional and practice advice to the Council and partners.
• Manage allegations of abuse against adults in positions of trust across the authority.
• Work with diverse agencies and communicate effectively.

Skills

Communication skills

Independent working

Fluent English

Education

Social work degree

Registered SW England

Job description

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Ref: 184680-2

Salary: £59,777p.a. pro rata

15 hours per week

Fixed term contract until end of March 2027

At Swindon Borough Council, we want our town to be the best it can be. Our ambitious vision is supported by realistic transformation programmes, with the people of Swindon at their heart. Because that’s who we’re doing it for – the communities and businesses that make our town great. As part of the Council, you’ll support a friendly local authority making decisions with real impact. It’s all for better public services. Better processes. And a better quality of life, for everyone. Join us, and Swindon will be better with you.

There has never been a more exciting time to work in Swindon's Children and Families Team. We've already taken huge strides forward with our development plans and, with our integrated approach to children's social care now in place, we're now ready to move onto the next, and even more exciting, stage in our development.

As we move forward it's vital to ensure that everything we do and every service we provide is delivered in a robust way and is in line with national standards and protocols. That's where you come in!

Your next role

Building on our commitment to children's safety and wellbeing, we have established an additional dedicated specialist LADO post based in the Quality Assurance and Review Team.

As Swindon's LADO you will provide professional and practice advice to the Council and its partners and will have the overall responsibility for the management of allegations of abuse against adults in a position of trust across the authority.

This is a vital and important role, and we are inviting applications from those who are SW England registered, have a degree (or equivalent) in social work, have significant post qualifying experience in children's safeguarding and excellent knowledge of relevant child care legislation, policy and best practice.

You will possess excellent communication skills and have the ability to work independently and confidently with a range of agencies

If you have the background and experience to deliver in this exciting and challenging role, we want to hear from you.

You will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check

You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act “for the effective performance of a customer-facing role”).

Your next package

Please see our Rewards and Benefits offer for more details.

As an employee, you will receive a diverse and exciting environment in which to work, encouraging creativity and innovation whilst recognising the need to support ongoing personal development and a flexible work life balance.

For Swindon to thrive in the future, we need to lay the foundations now. It’s why our regeneration and transformation programmes are already underway. So, you’ll be joining us at an exciting time on our journey. We’ll look to you to share your knowledge, influence decisions and drive real, positive change. With your contributions, we’ll achieve our vision of a prosperous, re-vitalised Swindon together. And you’ll be proud to say it was made better with you.

Please see our Vision and Values page for more details and our new Swindon Plan.

Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.

Your next steps

For further information about the role please contact Emma Brunsdon at [e-mail].

As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from a diverse range of communities, and in particular disabled people and people from ethnic minorities. Read our statement of commitment to equality & inclusion.

If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application, please email [e-mail]

Closing date: 20 October2026