Supported Lodgings Officer

Overview

Are you passionate about the real difference supported lodgings carers can make to the lives of children and young people in our care?

Are you an experienced social worker looking to work closely with supported lodgings carers?

This role is focused on the assessment and support of supported lodgings providers. You will work alongside supported lodgings carers, supporting them on their journey.

You might also be interested in a similar vacancy working with foster carers – Social Worker Fostering Team.

You will be joining us at a fantastic time. Inspectors have just judged our Children’s Services as outstanding and commented that Durham is a great place to work. You can read the full report here.

HOW WILL I BE SUPPORTED?

We are passionate about social work in County Durham. We are committed to providing a culture where good practice can flourish.

We will ensure you are highly supported. You will benefit from high quality professional supervision, a great induction, and access to our strong learning and development offer. If you are looking to take a step into management our aspiring managers programme “rising stars” is there for you.

We encourage flexible working to achieve a good work-life balance.

You can find out more about social work in Durham here.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You will need a degree in social work OR equivalent social work qualification, current Social Work England Registration and to have successfully completed the ASYE (Assessed and Supported Year in Employment).

You will also need:

• Enthusiasm for the role played by supported lodgings carers in the lives of children and young people in our care
• Experience of building effective working relationships with children, young people and families
• A friendly and flexible attitude
• Good organisational skills
• Strong communication skills

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.

TO FIND OUT MORE

It’s a great idea to speak to us before you apply. To find out more about the post, please contact Helen Milliken, Team Manager via email at Helen.Milliken@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS

We offer generous rewards and benefits that are designed to help you perform at your best:

• Competitive salaries and 27 days holiday per year rising to 32 days after five years continuous local government service.
• Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave per year.
• Excellent work/life balance through schemes including job sharing, compressed hours and flexi-time (allowing up to 13 flexi days per year).
• Hybrid working (home and office working).
• Excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Plus, top up options – Salary Sacrifice Shared Cost AVC scheme and standard AVC scheme for members of the LGPS.
• Wellbeing Portal and access to an Employee Assist Scheme.
• Wide range of learning and development opportunities including professional qualifications, coaching and mentoring.
• Employee Benefits Portal and Lifestyle Savings Scheme (discounts across a host of major retailers).
• Discounted DCC gym membership.
• Staff networks run by staff for our staff, including Race Equality and Diversity, Disability, LGBT+, Armed Forces, Carers, Menopause.
• Trade Union membership.
• A range of other salary sacrifice schemes such as car leasing.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. Take a closer look at our Rewards and Benefits here.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and recognise that a diverse, talented workforce brings new ideas and new perspectives, which will facilitate growth and improvements to services.

We are committed to ensuring that our employment policies and processes are fair and equitable to all. We welcome job applications from everyone, and successful candidates are considered only on their skills and ability to do the job.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we encourage applications from disabled people and provide support throughout the recruitment process.

Take a closer look at our approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on 28 October 2025.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

HOW TO APPLY

In line with the County Council\’s Recruitment and Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CVs. Applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal.

Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of your application form to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed.

If you have any support needs or require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27 (option 2), or the Recruitment Team via email at RecruitmentCYPS@durham.gov.uk

We collect personal information from you when you register with North East Jobs and make an application. Details on how we process your personal data is available in our Privacy Notice. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION FOR THIS POST WILL BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS THAT YOU HAVE REGISTERED WITH NORTH EAST JOBS, INCLUDING YOUR INVITE TO INTERVIEW IF YOU ARE SHORTLISTED. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL AFTER THE CLOSING DATE FOR NOTIFICATION FROM DONOTREPLY@NORTHEASTJOBS.ORG.UK AS YOU WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED BY ANY OTHER MEANS. PLEASE ENSURE YOU CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL.

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