Social Work Assistant, LeicestershirePay rate £18.54 per hourVitalis Social Care are recruiting for an experienced Social Work Assistant to join the Children’s services in Leicestershire.First Response, Screening handles safeguarding concerns, assessing risk and sharing information when people report abuse or neglect. Could you be part of this outstanding team, assisting social workers, working with professionals from children’s social care, targeted family help, the police, health and other agencies to help vulnerable children?We’re looking for committed and collaborative people who want to make a real difference. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity, working in a fast-paced, modern environment, where you can develop your skills. Your work will help to stop abuse, keep vulnerable children safe and assist families to receive support timely.You will be vital to the effectiveness of screening, handling telephone calls and emails in relation to Children’s Social Care as well as urgent referrals to the police. You will be supervised by qualified social work staff monthly, and be part of a social work POD, benefiting from reflective and developmental, monthly POD meetings.You will need to be adaptable, to work well under pressure both individually and as part of a team and to work to tight timescales. You will need excellent communication skills and innate sense of curiosity to ask questions sensitively of professionals and members of the public calling in.Provide telephone advice and support to families, for example:

Directing families to self-help resources such as websites, helplines, etc. and promoting their use as a first port of call.
Follow scripts and guidance to ensure families are given appropriate and accurate advice. Be able to identify where the needs are greater than can be met by advice only and escalate appropriately to a Social Worker/Team Manager.
Providing information about other services which may be available for self-referral / open access
Providing telephone support and guidance, for example on basic behaviour strategies
Take phone messages and updates for Social Workers.
Follow scripts and guidance to ensure families are given appropriate and accurate advice.
Provide support and advice to professionals to understand thresholds for services and when to make an appropriate referral. Provide support and advice on referral pathways for different services
Develop and maintain a high level of awareness of the range of services on offer to children, young people and their families both within the localities and on a county wide or national basis. Develop a good understanding of service thresholds and eligibility criteria to ensure appropriate referral to other services.

You will need experience of working in a similar role. Please contact Molly Rylance on or email for more information.We recruit across all areas of Qualified Social Work. If you are a Social Worker and this isn’t the role for you, contact us about other roles including IRO, BIA, MASH, LAC, Children’s Social Work, Adult Social Work, Service Manager, Head of Service, Team Manager and Assistant Team Manager.

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