Safeguarding Families Together (SFT) Team Leader - Dorset
Location: Dorset • Working Hours: 37 hours • Contract Type: Fixed-term (until 31/03/2027) • Salary: £31,030 - £37,500
About the Role
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated Team Leader to lead our Safeguarding Families Together (SFT) service within REACH, Dorset's substance misuse service. This rewarding leadership role involves supporting adults affected by substance misuse while improving outcomes for children, families, and carers across Dorset. You will lead a specialist team that supports parents and carers to achieve sustainable recovery and help children remain safely at home. The role includes recruiting, inducting, and developing two Senior Specialist Workers, providing day-to-day leadership, supervision, and performance management across the county-wide team. You will coordinate with key partners including Children’s Social Care, Adult Social Care, Mental Health Services, Probation, and Domestic Abuse Services to ensure effective service delivery and positive outcomes for families. A key aspect of this role is developing and maintaining strong working relationships with Children’s Social Care in line with the Service Level Agreement, ensuring collaborative and integrated support for individuals and families.
What You’ll Do
• Provide effective leadership, oversight, and performance management across the Dorset-wide SFT team.
• Develop and maintain strong partnership working with Children’s Social Care and other statutory and voluntary sector partners.
• Ensure high-quality service delivery that meets contractual, safeguarding, and organisational standards.
• Support the team in managing complex cases involving substance misuse, safeguarding concerns, and family interventions.
• Contribute to strategic service development and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Represent the service at multi‑agency meetings, case conferences, and partnership forums.
• Promote recovery‑focused, strengths‑based approaches that improve outcomes for individuals and families.
To Succeed in This Role, You’ll Need:
- Significant experience working within substance misuse and/or social care services.
- Proven leadership and people‑management experience.
- Strong knowledge of safeguarding practices relating to children and vulnerable adults.
- Experience working with families where children may be subject to Child Protection Plans, Child in Need Plans, Pre‑Proceedings, or Care Proceedings.
- Excellent partnership working skills and experience of collaborating with statutory agencies.
- Experience managing complex caseloads and supporting staff to deliver effective interventions.
- Strong communication, organisational, and decision‑making skills.
- A commitment to improving outcomes for children, families, and individuals affected by substance misuse.
- A relevant Social Care qualification would be advantageous, although it is not essential.
What We Offer
We value the people who make a difference every day.
- 27 days’ annual leave, rising to 32 after 1 year (plus bank holidays)
- Pension scheme with 4.5% employer contribution, matched up to 6.5%; Life assurance (3× annual salary)
- Enhanced sick pay and family‑friendly pay
- Birthday leave and the option to buy up to 5 extra days’ annual leave
- Professional fee reimbursement for relevant qualifications
- 24/7 online GP access and Employee Assistance Programme
- Recognition and long‑service awards via our Way to Go and Aspirations portals
- £500 Recommend a Friend bonus
- Cycle to Work scheme and Credit Union membership
- Discounts via Blue Light Card, Charity Discounts, Extras and Tickets for Good
- Free will‑writing service and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year
- Inclusion and accessibility support
Waythrough is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities, especially those with lived experience of the issues we support. We have signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme – all applicants are welcome, and adjustments can be made to enable fair participation. If you need adjustments or support to apply, please email our recruitment team: recruitmentteam@waythrough.org.uk
Closing Date: 2026-07-08
