Social Work Assistant

BRENT COUNCIL; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days leave

LGPS Pension

Hybrid work

Family-friendly policies

Eye care support

Cycle to Work

Travel loans

Learning & development

Staff discounts

Job summary

Brent Council is seeking a Social Work Assistant to join our Targeted Prevention Hub. This pivotal role supports high-risk children and families, delivering early intervention within CYPCD and collaborating with multi-agency partners.

You will work 36 hours per week on a permanent contract, with 27 days' annual leave and hybrid/flexible working options where available, within Brent's commitment to safeguarding and outcomes for vulnerable young people.

Qualifications

• Experience working with vulnerable children and families.
• Understanding of safeguarding, contextual safeguarding, and missing children.
• Ability to build positive relationships and engage effectively with young people and families.
• Confidence supporting casework, completing Return Home Interviews, and maintaining accurate records for children who go missing.
• Strong communication and multi-agency working skills.
• Qualification in childcare (e.g. NNEB, NVQ Level 3, Access to Social Care NVQ Level) with evidence of English and Maths competencies.
• Proactive, organised and child-centred approach to supporting interventions and improving outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Support high-risk children and families through the Targeted Prevention Hub.
• Engage with lead professionals and partner agencies to address emerging concerns.
• Assist in casework processes and ensure timely Return Home Interviews.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to safeguarding practices.

Skills

Experience with vulnerable children

Safeguarding

Contextual safeguarding

Building relationships

Casework support

Return Home Interviews

Multi-agency working

Communication skills

English and Maths competencies

Organised and proactive

Education

Level 3 childcare qualification

NNEB / NVQ Level 3

Access to Social Care NVQ Level

Job description

Salary range: £37,692- £39,276 p.a. incl. London weighting (plus fantastic benefits!)
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Civic Centre and other locations from time to time

Make a real difference to the lives of children and young people with disabilities in Brent.

Brent is a tremendously vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline.

Spanning both inner and outer London, Brent is a borough of huge contrasts in terms of economic, environmental, ethnic and social makeup. Our long history of cultural diversity has created a place that is truly unique and valued by those who live and work here.

The council is pursuing an ambitious transformation agenda to improve the lives of local families—this is an exciting time to join us.

The Post

We are seeking a passionate and skilled Social Work Assistant to join our Targeted Prevention Hub. This is a pivotal role to support the highest risk children and young people referred to the Targeted Prevention Hub. The Targeted Prevention Hub (TPH) is an integrated multi-disciplinary service within Children and Young People’s Community Development (CYPCD), established in June 2025 as part of Brent’s Early Help and Social Care redesign.

Operating within the wider Youth and Youth Justice Service, TPH provides professionals with rapid access to specialist advice, guidance, and targeted support to address emerging concerns before they elevate. With a strong focus on prevention, early intervention, and contextual safeguarding, the service brings together expertise in Contextual Safeguarding, Youth Services, and Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) to support children, young people, and families.

By working collaboratively with lead professionals and partner agencies, TPH helps reduce risk, strengthen resilience, and improve outcomes while minimising the need for more intensive statutory interventions.

The Person

Do you have significant experience of direct work with families who are experiencing multiple disadvantages?

Do you have an interest in children and young people who go missing?

Are you persistent in your approach to achieving positive outcomes for children and their families?

Do you have extensive experience in a relevant field or a minimum Level 3 qualification in a relevant area of work such as Childcare, Social Work, Education or Health?

If so, and you are committed to transforming the lives of the most vulnerable families in Brent, we welcome your application.

We Are Looking For

• Someone with experience working with vulnerable children and young people and their families.
• Understanding of safeguarding, contextual safeguarding, and missing children.
• Ability to build positive relationships and engage effectively with young people and families.
• Confidence supporting casework, completing Return Home Interviews, and maintaining accurate records for children who go missing.
• Strong communication and multi-agency working skills.
• Qualification in childcare e.g. NNEB, NVQ Level 3, Access to Social Care NVQ Level with evidence of competencies of English and Maths’.
• A proactive, organised, and child-centred approach to supporting interventions and improving outcomes.

Why join us?

We know people do their best work when they feel valued, supported and able to grow. At Brent, you will benefit from:

• 27 days' annual leave, rising with length of service, plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
• Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
• Supportive family-friendly policies, including carers’ leave, paternity leave and compassionate leave for eligible employees
• Health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial wellbeing support, including education sessions, childcare deposit loans and season ticket loans
• Travel support, including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme and onsite facilities
• Learning and development opportunities to support your career
• Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment

To learn more about our staff benefits, visit Our offer to you.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects the people we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage applicants to complete the diversity survey section of the application.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. We expect all employees to demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory practices in their work. This commitment forms part of our recruitment process, and candidates may be assessed on their understanding of and ability to contribute to an inclusive working environment.

The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas, who will use it to help prevent fraud and other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details on how your information will be used by Brent and Cifas, and your data protection rights can be found here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. This includes people with hidden disabilities, long-term health conditions, diagnoses and mental health conditions. We also guarantee an interview to care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria. Information shared for this purpose will be treated fairly and used only to confirm eligibility under these schemes.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail].

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

Job Description