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- Tasks: Join our team to support child protection meetings and ensure efficient administration.
- Company: Gateshead Council, dedicated to making a positive impact on children's lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, generous leave, and excellent training opportunities.
- Why this job: Be part of an award-winning team making a real difference for vulnerable children.
- Qualifications: 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above; experience in social care is a plus.
- Other info: Stable leadership, supportive culture, and great transport links.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 42000 £ per year.
About Gateshead council
At Gateshead our vision is that all children and families, regardless of their background, are at the heart of everything we do – ensuring all children can thrive and meet their full potential.
Our plans for 2024 reflect this vision and ambition! We will have an even greater focus on embedding trauma informed approaches, and inclusive practice, across all of our services as we believe that this delivers the best outcomes for children and young people. We are committed to continuing to develop services which are integrated and joined up through our family hubs and that we maintain our focus on supporting the most vulnerable children on the edge of care to support them to remain safely living within their family networks.
In 2023 we were recognised nationally for the great work we are doing. Our Kinship team won the CYPS award for the team making the biggest impact, our Social Work Academy received a commendation and came second in the CYPS biggest impact award, and one of our NQSW was shortlisted in the best newcomer award.
We also won the Gold award for ‘Digital Transformation in Social Work Award’ based on the Digital Me films that were made by young people in both the Domestic abuse and Youth justice services. These really are excellent and are a testament to our young people and the teams who work with them and support them.
Plus, two of our foster carers won the CYPS foster carer award supported by their Fostering Social Work Practitioner.
During 2023 we were also successful in bidding for and achieving a number of grants to develop new services for children and young people which includes piloting the new national DFE Family Network pilot; Turnaround funding to support young people at risk of entering the criminal justice system; and the Family Links programme for children in care.
Do you want to come and be part of our award winning, ambitious and innovative teams?
About the role
We are seeking to recruit a Senior Safeguarding Clerk in the Safeguarding Children Unit (SCU).
The SCU is responsible for chairing Child Protection Conferences, Children in Our Care Reviews, Foster Care Reviews, Secure Reviews, Complex Abuse Meetings and Strategy Meetings which have been convened by the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
You will be responsible for the provision of an efficient administration and minuting service to ensure the efficient running of SCU.
Key responsibilities of this post include the arranging of meetings by ensuring invitation letters are distributed within procedural timescales. You are required to attend Initial and Review Child Protection Conferences, LADO Strategy Meetings and other statutory meetings to minute (Using a Laptop) and produce accurate records following discussion and to ensure child protection plans and all minutes from meetings are produced and distributed within procedural timescales. You will be required to ensure that accurate performance data is inputted onto Mosaic following all Child Protection Conferences and LADO Strategy Meetings, maintaining appropriate records on the social care database adhering to national and LA guidance on confidentiality and information-sharing.
You would also be responsible for the administrative tasks relating to the arrangement of the Foster Carers Annual Reviews.
You will be required to assist the Business Support Coordinator in the monitoring of Business Support procedures. You will have responsibility for maintaining and updating manual and computerised information systems ensuring information used by the service is accurate and to assist with the auditing of data quality.
It is essential that you have experience in convening, servicing and minuting meetings. You must be able to work on own initiative, organise and prioritise your workloads to ensure timescales are met. You must have comprehensive working knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet systems. You must have effective written and oral communication skills demonstrating a high standard of accuracy.
You must be able to input, retrieve, collate and present information from computerised and manual systems and have excellent IT and typing skills.
5 GCSEs at Grade C or above or grades (1-9) or equivalent qualification and/or experience is essential.
Experience of working in a children’s social care, or health environment would be desirable but is not essential.
What can a career with Gateshead offer?
By pursuing your career with Gateshead, we can guarantee you will have:
- A stable senior leadership team that listens and cares about you and your work
- A culture which takes pride in and actively celebrates social work.
- Hybrid working – both working from the office base and home working
- A protected time employee induction scheme.
Also as an employee of Gateshead Council you will benefit from:
- A generous annual leave package of 28 days (2 of which are fixed), increasing to 30 days (plus 2 fixed) following 5 years’ service. You will also have the opportunity to purchase up to 10 days extra leave via our Annual Leave Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
- Access to the flexi scheme which allows for working a 9 days over 10
- Excellent training and development opportunities
- Great transport links with the use of reliable and frequent public transport and have access to a discounted Annual Pass. You will also have use of Co-wheel pool cars and access to the Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme
- Being a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Eligibility to access a range of other staff offers and discounts via our employee discount portal.
During the selection process candidates will be assessed against the essential criteria as set out in the job profile.
For further information regarding what Gateshead can offer you please visit our website.
For a chat about the role and to learn more please call Julie Reay, Business Support Coordinator on 0191 4333565.
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Senior Safeguarding Clerk employer: North East Ambition
Contact Detail:
North East Ambition Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Safeguarding Clerk
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the safeguarding and social care sectors. Attend local events or online webinars to connect with professionals who can give you insights or even refer you to opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Gateshead Council's recent achievements and initiatives. Show that you’re genuinely interested in their work and how you can contribute to their mission of supporting vulnerable children.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your minute-taking skills! Since this role involves minuting meetings, try to simulate the experience. Record discussions from mock meetings to get comfortable with capturing key points quickly and accurately.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our award-winning team at Gateshead Council.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Safeguarding Clerk
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your skills and experiences align with the role of Senior Safeguarding Clerk. We want to see how you can contribute to our vision of supporting children and families!
Show Off Your Skills: Don’t forget to showcase your experience in minuting meetings and managing administrative tasks. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so let us know how you’ve done this in the past!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language and make sure your key achievements stand out. We appreciate a well-structured application that’s easy to read!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, you’ll find all the info you need about the role there!
How to prepare for a job interview at North East Ambition
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you understand the role of a Senior Safeguarding Clerk and the responsibilities that come with it. Familiarise yourself with child protection processes, the importance of accurate record-keeping, and the specific meetings you'll be involved in. This will show your genuine interest and preparedness.
✨Showcase Your Skills
Highlight your experience in minuting meetings and managing administrative tasks. Be ready to discuss how you've organised workloads and met deadlines in previous roles. Use specific examples to demonstrate your effective communication skills and IT proficiency.
✨Understand the Organisation
Research Gateshead Council's vision and recent achievements, especially in safeguarding and social work. Being able to reference their award-winning initiatives during the interview will show that you're aligned with their values and goals.
✨Prepare Questions
Think of insightful questions to ask at the end of your interview. This could be about the team dynamics, the training opportunities available, or how they measure success in the role. It shows you're engaged and serious about contributing to their mission.