Social Worker – UASC Case Holding

Ardent Social Ltd; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 43,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Specialist UASC Experience

Professional Development

Coaching and Mentoring

Professional Practice

Multi-Agency Exposure

Court Experience

Student Development

Job summary

Ardent Social Ltd is seeking an experienced Social Worker to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children across East Kent. The role involves complex caseloads, high professional standards and collaboration with Home Office, Police and voluntary bodies.

The successful candidate will contribute to safeguarding, professional practice and multi-agency working, with opportunities for student supervision and court experience.

Qualifications

• Degree in Social Work or equivalent and current registration.
• Substantial experience with children and families in statutory settings.
• Specialist knowledge of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of complex UASC cases and assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• Provide professional social work input within the Children’s Services team.
• Supervise and mentor Social Workers and students as directed.
• Contribute to quality assurance activities including case audits and reviews.
• Engage with Home Office, Police and voluntary organisations to support outcomes.
• Attend court proceedings and provide professional input as required.

Skills

Social Work Experience

Communication Skills

Negotiation Skills

Case Management

Court Work Knowledge

Legislation Knowledge

Education

Social Work Degree/Registration

Job description

Job Title: Social Worker – UASC Case Holding
Specialism: Children’s Services
Location: East Kent, UK
Salary: Up to £38.00 Per Hour
Type: Ongoing / Full Time

We are seeking an experienced Social Worker to join a Children’s Services team supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children across East Kent. This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified social work professional with specialist knowledge and experience of working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and complex cases.

The successful candidate will manage a complex caseload, contribute to high standards of professional practice, and work closely with key stakeholders including the Home Office, Police and voluntary organizations.

Perks and benefits

Specialist UASC Experience: Develop and apply specialist social work knowledge and experience while supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children with complex needs.

Professional Development: Access opportunities to maintain and develop professional knowledge through training courses, working groups, multi-agency forums and ongoing professional development.

Coaching and Mentoring: Support and develop other Social Workers, including colleagues undertaking post-qualifying training, while strengthening your own leadership and mentoring experience.

Professional Practice: Contribute to maintaining high standards of social work practice through supervision, case audits, reviews and quality assurance activity.

Multi-Agency Exposure: Work closely with key stakeholders including the Home Office, Police and voluntary organizations, developing valuable multi-agency working experience.

Court Experience: Gain experience of providing professional input and expertise in court proceedings involving high-profile and sensitive cases where required.

Student Development: Opportunity to act as a Practice Assessor and support student placements, contributing to the development of future social work professionals.

What you will do

Complex Case Management: Manage a caseload of complex and difficult cases, undertaking assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of appropriate interventions to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

UASC Casework: Manage cases involving unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, applying specialist knowledge and experience to support their needs and promote positive outcomes.

Professional Practice: Provide high-quality social work knowledge and expertise within the team, supporting consistent and effective professional practice.

Supervision and Support: Undertake staff supervision as directed and provide coaching and mentoring to Social Workers, including those undertaking post-qualifying training.

Quality Assurance: Contribute to case audits, reviews, supervision and other quality assurance activities to maintain high standards of practice.

Court Work: Attend court where appropriate and provide professional input and expertise in high-profile and sensitive cases.

Student Support: Act as a Practice Assessor to support student placements and contribute to the development of future social work professionals.

Multi-Agency Working: Work closely with key stakeholders, including the Home Office, Police and voluntary organizations, to support effective outcomes for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Professional Development: Maintain awareness of changes in legislation, policies and practice and contribute to training, working groups and multi-agency forums where required.

What you will bring

• A Degree in Social Work, CQSW, DipSW or equivalent.
• Current registration as a social worker with the appropriate professional body.
• Substantial and diverse experience of working with children and families.
• Experience of working with complex family situations within a statutory childcare setting.
• Specialist knowledge and experience of working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
• Experience of providing consultation, mentoring and professional support to qualified social work staff or equivalent.
• Strong direct work skills with children and families.
• Ability to quality assure practice through supervision, case audit and review.
• Effective negotiation, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to assess performance and development needs of social work staff.
• High-level working knowledge of relevant legislation and national policy.
• Knowledge of child development and attachment theory.
• Understanding of adoption, fostering, disability, and children and families issues relevant to the work setting.
• Professional credibility, enthusiasm, flexibility and leadership skills.
• Commitment to equal opportunities and non-discriminatory practice.

Why East Kent

East Kent offers a diverse working environment with opportunities to support children and young people from a range of backgrounds. The area provides a varied setting for social work practice, with the role working closely with key statutory and voluntary partners to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Working with Ardent Social

At Ardent Social, we are passionate about connecting experienced social work professionals with high-quality opportunities across the UK. We pride ourselves on providing a transparent, supportive and professional recruitment experience tailored to your career goals and aspirations.