At a Glance
- Tasks: Coordinate responses to missing children, ensuring their voices are heard and risks are managed.
- Company: Join Slough Children First, a passionate team dedicated to safeguarding vulnerable youth.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, training opportunities, and a supportive environment with great colleagues.
- Other info: Work in a vibrant, diverse town with excellent transport links to London.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives by reducing missing episodes and promoting safety.
- Qualifications: Experience in safeguarding or children's services, strong organisational and partnership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 36508 - 40958 £ per year.
Are you passionate about safeguarding vulnerable children and ensuring their voices are heard? Slough Children First (SCF) is looking for a dedicated Missing from Home Coordinator to join our Adolescent Service and play a vital role in supporting children who go missing from home or care.
In this role, you will coordinate our response to missing episodes, ensuring Return Home Interviews are allocated, completed within statutory timescales and used effectively to understand and reduce the risks faced by children and young people. You will work closely with social care teams, Thames Valley Police, and a wide range of partner agencies to gather and share intelligence, identify emerging themes and support robust safeguarding and risk management planning.
The successful candidate will oversee the quality and effectiveness of Return Home Interviews, ensuring the child's voice is central to assessment and planning. You will analyse missing episode data, monitor trends and contribute to strategic and operational safeguarding discussions, helping to shape services and interventions that improve outcomes for vulnerable children.
This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled and motivated professional with experience of safeguarding, exploitation, contextual safeguarding or children's services. You will have strong organisational and partnership-working skills, a commitment to child‑centred practice and the ability to manage information, data and competing priorities effectively.
Join us and help make a difference to the lives of children and young people across Slough by reducing missing episodes, identifying risks early and promoting safer futures. We work on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of 3 days per week based in the office.
If you’re looking for a new challenge and want to be part of an exciting journey to turn children’s services around in Slough, then come and join us. In return, we can offer you:
- Training and development opportunities
- Agile working supported by technology
- Flexible working policies
- Friendly working environment and great colleagues
Slough is one of the UK’s most diverse and well‑connected towns, offering a vibrant place to live and work just outside London. Ongoing regeneration and investment have enhanced local amenities, public spaces and employment opportunities, while the cost of living remains more affordable than central London. With direct trains to Central London in under 20 minutes and excellent road links via the M4, M25 and M40, Slough is an accessible and welcoming location to build your career.
Our values and commitment: We are driven by our vision to ensure happy, safe & loved, thriving children and young people. Our work is guided by strong values — being child focused, honest and respectful, improving constantly, looking ahead, and delivering together. We are looking for people who share these values and are passionate about making a positive difference. In return, we offer a supportive, inclusive environment where collaboration, learning and care truly matter.
If this reflects who you are, we would love to hear from you!
Missing from Home Coordinator in Slough employer: Slough Children First
Slough Children First is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and development of its staff while making a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families in the community. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and professional growth, employees benefit from a supportive work culture and flexible hybrid working arrangements that promote work-life balance. Joining our team means being part of a dedicated organisation committed to safeguarding and enhancing the welfare of children in Slough.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Missing from Home Coordinator in Slough
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Slough Children First.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Slough Children First!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Slough Children First, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Slough Children First or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Missing from Home Coordinator in Slough
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Slough Children First:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Slough Children First! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Slough Children First
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
