Missing Children Coordinator

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

LGPS Pension Scheme

27 days annual leave

Competitive rewards package

Job summary

Durham County Council's ERASE Team is seeking a Missing Co-ordinator to lead Return to Home Interviews, monitor safeguarding performance, and drive learning from missing episodes across County Durham. You will coordinate multi-agency responses, ensure statutory and local requirements are met, and analyse trends to improve safeguarding outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

This role supports professionals in a collaborative environment and promotes children's voices in decisions.

Qualifications

• Significant experience with children, young people and families, especially vulnerable groups.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge, including child exploitation and contextual safeguarding.
• Ability to build relationships with partner agencies and maintain accurate records.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and oversee Return to Home Interviews across County Durham.
• Monitor performance, conduct quality assurance and analyse trends.
• Collaborate with Children's Social Care, Durham Constabulary and partners to improve safeguarding responses.

Skills

Experience with missing episodes

Safeguarding expertise

Multi-agency collaboration

Analytical thinking

Education

Level 3 Child Care qualification

Job description

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people? Do you have experience working with children who go missing, experience exploitation, or face complex safeguarding risks? We are seeking to appoint a Missing Co-ordinator to join our dynamic ERASE Team and play a key role in reducing missing episodes, understanding children's lived experiences, and driving improvements in safeguarding practice across County Durham. The ERASE Team works with children and young people who are vulnerable to exploitation, missing episodes and contextual risks. Working alongside colleagues and partner agencies, the team helps coordinate effective safeguarding responses, identify emerging risks, and ensure that children's voices remain at the heart of decision-making. As a Missing Co-ordinator, you will lead on the coordination, development and quality assurance of Return to Home Interviews, ensuring children are offered opportunities to share their experiences and that learning from missing episodes informs future safeguarding interventions. If you are passionate about safeguarding, confident in multi-agency working, and committed to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people, we would like to hear from you.

We encourage you to contact Alex Black via email at [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

You will coordinate and oversee Return to Home Interviews across County Durham, ensuring statutory and local requirements are met. You will monitor performance, undertake quality assurance activity, analyse trends relating to missing children, and work closely with Children's Social Care, Durham Constabulary and wider partners to improve safeguarding responses. You will champion the voices and experiences of children and young people and work alongside the ERASE team to inform the ongoing development and review of partnership responses to missing children and young people.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

• You will have significant experience working with children, young people and families, particularly those who are vulnerable, go missing, or are at risk of exploitation.
• You will hold a Level 3 qualification in Child Care, or an equivalent relevant qualification, and have a strong understanding of safeguarding, child exploitation and contextual safeguarding.
• You will be confident in building effective relationships, working with partner agencies, analysing information, identifying risk, and maintaining accurate records. Strong communication, organisational skills and the ability to balance competing priorities are essential.
• Most importantly, you will be passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people, ensuring their voices are heard and making a positive difference to their lives.
• Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.
• If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING

Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children's Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on 16th November.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years' continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable.
• Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website
• Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

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