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- Tasks: Conduct high-quality assessments with children and families, ensuring timely interventions.
- Company: Barnsley Council, a supportive and collaborative environment.
- Benefits: Earn £35 per hour, enjoy a structured duty rota, and work in a nurturing team.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your social work skills.
- Qualifications: Social Work qualification and strong experience in assessment services required.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team co-located with Police for effective multi-agency collaboration.
Barnsley Council are recruiting an experienced Senior Social Worker to join one of their four Assessment Teams, co-located with Police at Wombwell Police Station. This is a short-term frontline role with a clear focus on high-quality, timely assessments, strong decision-making, and improving outcomes for children and families.
About the Role
- You’ll be completing assessments with children and families within 40 working days, working collaboratively with families to identify the right intervention and plan.
- Once the plan is agreed, cases will either close to Children’s Social Care or transfer to the relevant service area — including Early Help or long-term social work teams.
- The service operates a clear and predictable duty pattern: 1 week on duty allocations, followed by 3 weeks off duty, focused on progressing assessments and intervention planning.
Key Responsibilities
- Complete high-quality statutory assessments within 40 working days, with clear analysis of risk and need.
- Undertake duty work during rota weeks, managing new allocations and responding to safeguarding concerns promptly.
- Develop timely, outcome-focused intervention plans in partnership with children, families and multi-agency professionals.
- Make confident threshold decisions and ensure cases step down, close, or transfer appropriately to the next service area.
- Maintain strong oversight of safeguarding practice, including Child Protection decision-making where required.
- Record consistently and accurately, ensuring the child’s lived experience and voice is central to assessment and planning.
- Work within a performance framework that supports timely case progression and strong outcomes for children.
Practice Model
Barnsley’s Assessment service focuses on timely, high-quality assessments, purposeful planning, and strong multi-agency working. The team is strengths-based and child-focused, working closely with families and partner agencies to ensure the right intervention happens at the right time, and children experience clear, effective support.
Requirements
- Social Work qualification (Degree/DipSW/CQSW)
- Social Work England registration
- Strong recent experience within an Assessment / Duty service
- Confident working at pace with clear decision-making and risk management
- Comfortable working within a performance management framework
- Level 2 vetting required (due to Police Station base) or willingness/eligibility to obtain this
Benefits
- £35 per hour umbrella rate
- Supportive, friendly and nurturing team environment
- Visible managers and strong leadership support
- Clear structure: duty rota with focused off-duty assessment time
- Co-located multi-agency working with Police for joined-up decision-making
Interested? Contact Emily Cooper for more info or to apply.
Senior Social Worker - Assessment in Barnsley employer: Sheldon Phillips Ltd
Contact Detail:
Sheldon Phillips Ltd Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Social Worker - Assessment in Barnsley
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in social work or related fields. Let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities, especially roles like the Senior Social Worker at Barnsley Council. You never know who might have the inside scoop on openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by brushing up on your assessment skills. Think about how you would approach high-quality assessments and decision-making in a fast-paced environment. Practising common interview questions can help you articulate your experience effectively.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to showcase your strengths! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, highlight your experience in multi-agency working and your ability to make confident decisions. This is key for roles focused on improving outcomes for children and families.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining a supportive team like Barnsley Council's Assessment Teams. Get your application in and let’s land that job together!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Social Worker - Assessment in Barnsley
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in assessment and decision-making. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your strengths!
Showcase Your Experience: When detailing your past roles, focus on specific examples where you’ve completed high-quality assessments or worked collaboratively with families. We love seeing real-life scenarios that demonstrate your expertise!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and make sure your key achievements stand out. This helps us quickly see why you’d be a great fit for the team!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sheldon Phillips Ltd
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of statutory assessments and the specific requirements for the role. Familiarise yourself with Barnsley Council's approach to social work, especially their focus on timely, high-quality assessments and multi-agency collaboration.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare to discuss your recent experience in an Assessment or Duty service. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've managed risk, made confident decisions, and developed intervention plans that have positively impacted children and families.
✨Demonstrate Your Decision-Making Skills
Since this role requires strong decision-making, think of scenarios where you've had to make tough calls. Highlight your ability to analyse risk and need effectively, and how you ensure that cases are appropriately stepped down, closed, or transferred.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare some thoughtful questions about the team dynamics, the support structure, and how they measure success within the performance framework. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you gauge if it's the right fit for you.
