Safeguarding Practitioner - Adult Safeguarding in Portsmouth

Our client based in Portsmouth is seeking an experienced and motivated Safeguarding Practitioner to join their Adult Safeguarding Team. This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified Social Worker to work within a specialist multi-agency safeguarding service, supporting professionals, individuals, and partner organisations in responding to complex adult safeguarding concerns.

The successful candidate will work within a fast-paced environment, providing expert safeguarding advice, guidance, and support across a wide range of statutory and non-statutory services. You will play a key role in screening safeguarding concerns, coordinating enquiries, managing risk, and ensuring that adults at risk remain at the centre of decision-making through the principles of Making Safeguarding Personal.

This role requires a confident practitioner with strong safeguarding knowledge, excellent risk assessment skills, and the ability to work autonomously whilst maintaining effective partnership working across a broad range of agencies.

What will your responsibilities be?

• Screening and triaging adult safeguarding concerns, ensuring timely and proportionate responses in accordance with safeguarding legislation and local procedures.
• Providing advice, guidance, and professional consultation to colleagues, partner agencies, providers, and other professionals regarding safeguarding concerns and risk management.
• Applying safeguarding legislation, policies, and procedures in line with the Care Act 2014 and Making Safeguarding Personal principles.
• Managing a professional caseload involving complex safeguarding concerns, safeguarding enquiries, investigations, and risk management activity.
• Undertaking and coordinating Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries and non-statutory safeguarding enquiries where appropriate.
• Assessing and managing complex risks involving abuse, neglect, exploitation, self-neglect, domestic abuse, homelessness, substance misuse, and organisational concerns.
• Leading or contributing to Multi-Agency Risk Management meetings and developing safeguarding plans to reduce risks and improve outcomes.
• Ensuring safeguarding decisions, actions, and outcomes are clearly recorded, communicated, and shared with relevant parties.
• Working closely with police, health services, residential and nursing homes, domiciliary care providers, housing services, acute hospitals, quality assurance teams, regulatory bodies, and voluntary organisations.
• Promoting the rights, wishes, outcomes, and wellbeing of adults at risk through person-centred safeguarding practice.
• Representing the Adult Safeguarding Team at internal and external meetings, safeguarding forums, case reviews, and partnership discussions.
• Preparing high-quality safeguarding reports, assessments, risk analyses, and professional documentation.
• Maintaining accurate, timely, and legally compliant records in accordance with professional standards and organisational requirements.
• Contributing to service development, quality improvement, reflective practice, and continuous professional development activities.

Qualifications & Experience

To be successful in this role you must have:

• Professional Qualification: MA, BA, BSc in Social Work, Diploma in Social Work, CQSW, CSS, or equivalent recognised Social Work qualification.
• Registration: Must be registered with Social Work England.
• Experience: Significant post-qualified experience within Adult Social Care and Adult Safeguarding services.
• Safeguarding Expertise: Experience undertaking safeguarding enquiries, managing safeguarding concerns, and investigating allegations of abuse or neglect.
• Legislation Knowledge: Strong understanding of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Human RightsAct, Making Safeguarding Personal, and Adult Safeguarding legislation and guidance.
• Risk Management Skills: Proven ability to assess, analyse, and manage complex risks whilst making defensible professional decisions.
• Assessment Skills: Strong experience undertaking safeguarding assessments, enquiries, investigations, and protection planning.
• Multi-Agency Working: Experience working collaboratively with police, health professionals, providers, housing services, regulatory bodies, and voluntary organisations.
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication, negotiation, report‑writing, analytical, and decision‑making skills, including the ability to communicate in challenging or sensitive situations.
• Professional Curiosity: Ability to challenge appropriately, investigate concerns thoroughly, and apply creative and innovative approaches to safeguarding practice.
• Personal Qualities: Emotionally resilient, organised, able to manage competing priorities, and committed to continuous professional development and reflective practice.