Social Worker - MASH

Luton, England, United Kingdom

1/21/2025

About The Job

Salary: £36,648 - £39,186 a year plus £5,500 market supplement and £963 essential car user allowance (subject to criteria)

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families? We have an exciting opportunity for a dedicated and compassionate social worker to join our Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) team. In this role, you'll be the first point of contact for initial queries and referrals regarding children's social care, playing a crucial part in ensuring the safety and well-being of at-risk children.

Key Responsibilities

• Respond to Children’s Social Care contacts and queries entering MASH, both via telephone and written communication.
• Prioritise vulnerable individuals, offering guidance, advice, and recommending appropriate actions.
• Ensure all contacts are promptly signposted or referred to the right team for further investigation and support.
• Collaborate with the MASH Deputy Team Manager and senior social workers to effectively manage inquiries from a range of sources, including the public, service users, and professionals from other agencies.
• Act as a filter to prevent inappropriate cases from progressing to the social work teams, ensuring efficient handling of incoming cases.
  
  

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

About You

We’re looking for a social worker who brings expertise, compassion, and a collaborative approach to the team. We are looking for someone with:

• Post-qualifying experience: You'll have significant experience in child and family social work, particularly in safeguarding vulnerable children.
• Expertise in safeguarding: A deep understanding of children's safeguarding procedures and risk management is essential.
• Professional competence: Demonstrates a high level of competence in child and family social work, delivering quality service and outcomes.
• Commitment to excellence: You have a proven ability to maintain the highest standards of professional practice within the team, achieved through effective collaboration, providing guidance, challenge, advice, and support.
• Collaborative working: Strong ability to work closely with partners within the MASH and external agencies to ensure effective multi-agency support.
• Excellent communication: You are able to communicate effectively and build strong relationships with service users, colleagues, and professionals from other agencies.
• Understanding of social care needs: Comprehensive knowledge of the social care needs of children and families.
• Qualifications: A relevant professional qualification such as Dip SW, CQSW, or equivalent is required.
  
  

If you are passionate about supporting vulnerable children and families, we encourage you to apply and join our dynamic team!

About Us

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

Application process

Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.

Additional Information

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
• Friday Funday Socials - One Friday every 2 months where we encourage our staff to get together to socialise after work