We are looking for an inspiring individual to join the SAFE Team as a Young Persons SAFE worker. If you’re looking for an exciting and highly rewarding role that makes a difference to children and families across Herefordshire we’d love to meet you!
Why Choose US
You will join an ambitious, supportive, well-established and friendly team working alongside 4 other SAFE workers.
You will be part of the exiting development of our responses to contextual safeguarding harm underpinned by anti-racist, anti-oppressive, trauma responsive, culturally competent and children centred practice.
Multi-disciplinary team with opportunities to work closely with other agencies.
Regular reflective group and individual supervision.
Full training will be given.
Excellent Training opportunities.
We have launched the new GETSAFE model within Herefordshire in January 2024 that promotes multi agency working in partnership. This new model has been positive with ensuring the network around the young person is fully committed to disrupting and safeguarding children at risk of exploitation.
Typical day in the life of a SAFE worker
Be part of multi-disciplinary team and safeguarding responses to children and young people at risk of exploitation. Working directly with health, education, police and social workers to formulate an effective safe work plan for the young person.
Undertake Return Home Interviews for missing children as part of rolling duty rota. This is within our 72 hour protocol, this includes Herefordshire young people placed out of county.
Responsible for working with a number of young people across the service delivering educative and preventative work around exploitation. We work with young people up to the age of 18 years old, and up to 25 years old Herefordshire Care leavers.
Understanding our work that we cover within Criminal Exploitation, Sexual Exploitation, County Lines, Gangs, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Radicalisation, Trafficking, Forced Marriage, absent/ Missing, Honour Based Violence, Modern Day Slavery and Substance Misuse.
Deliver training and awareness sessions to parents/carer, education providers, community and the workforce
Represent the Safe team as part of statutory meetings for children and young people.
What are we looking for?
Organised, diligent and adaptable individual with a passion for children, families and communities.
Knowledge and desire to support those experiencing and impacted by child exploitation and/or missing and have an excellent understanding of how children are targeted, groomed and exploited.
You will have experience of working and engaging with challenging children and people. For example those who have complex needs, people who are reluctant to discuss their needs and those who present as angry and confused.
A sound understanding of Child and Adolescent development and a good understanding of Contextual Safeguarding and Exploitation is desirable.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain positive relationships whilst mainlining a strong focus on parents /careers and children themselves as one of the key objectives of the SAFE team. Placing Children and parents/carers are at the heart of everything we do.
We Offer
A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
- Career progression: clear pathways to progress
- Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
- Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
About Us
Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns.
Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People.
How do we do this? By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it's an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be!
Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole.
We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond.
Come to Herefordshire and join the journey.
Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:
- Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme;
- Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant; and
- Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.
To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.