Child Protection and Reviewing Officer

We are looking to recruit a highly motivated Child Protection and Reviewing Officer, to support the protection of children at risk of significant harm and to ensure good outcomes for our Looked After Children. This is an exciting opportunity to work in our multi-agency, co-located Public Protection Unit and be the social work lead in Child Protection Investigations across the Scottish Borders. This is a busy team and a fast-paced environment. The post holder will chair Child Protection Planning Meetings, Vulnerable Young Persons meetings and Looked After Child Reviews. All children should grow up loved, safe and respected and Scottish Borders Council are committed to keeping The Promise and keeping children, young people and their families’ voices at the heart of everything we do. A Reviewing Officer plays a key role in achieving this. Scottish Borders Council are committed to improving outcomes for our Looked-After Children and the post-holder will provide expert advice around

Permanence Planning and ensure Permanence timescales are adhered to. We strive to recruit workers who are passionate about working with children and young people and their families and assessing and supporting their strengths to move towards better outcomes. We value our staff and understand that they are our greatest asset, we offer a supportive team environment, flexible working, and an approachable and supportive management team. We are fully committed to continuous professional development as well as offering regular supervision and annual appraisals. There will be a number of opportunities to develop your practice and support your career pathway; this will be supported by a number of training opportunities. This includes Trauma Responsive Social Work Services training. We offer a generous Pension Scheme and annual leave entitlement, as well as access to a number of additional employee benefits and a wide range of learning and development opportunities. Scottish Borders

Council prides itself on being a great place to work where staff are trusted, valued and supported to make a positive contribution at work. We are looking for applicants with a sound value base, excellent communication and report writing skills who have a wide range of knowledge and understanding of supporting children and families in complex situations. It is essential you have knowledge of Children and Families social work legislation, roles and responsibilities.

Appropriate social work qualification at degree level or diploma level (DipSW). A current driving licence and use of a vehicle is an essential requirement of this post. *If you have a disability which precludes you from holding a drivers licence, Scottish Borders Council will take into account it’s responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to allow for your disability. Should it be possible to make such an adjustment in order that you can undertake the travel responsibilities of the post, this will be taken into consideration for this role.

Informal enquiries may be made to Caitlin Nisbet by telephone on 01896 664 159 or by email at caitlin.nisbet@scotborders.gov.uk. Scottish Borders Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all minority groups and individuals who identify with one or more of the protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010. In particular from candidates who assess themselves as having a disability, under the Disability Confident Employer scheme this guarantees an interview to those individuals who meet the essential criteria of the post. All appointments will be made on merit.