At Sandwell Children’s Trust we strive for excellence to improve the lives of children. Our ‘Sandwell Deal’, brings together our new improved offering that make Sandwell Children’s Trust a great place to work; it also sets out our expectations of you as a member of staff.

What we can offer you:-

• Generous annual leave of up to 31 days, plus 5 additional days for long service recognition.
• Your birthday off paid in addition to annual leave entitlement and 8 Bank Holidays, plus a concessionary day at Christmas.
• You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme with employer contributions of 21.6%.
• We recognise individual loyalty with service awards from 2, 5, 10 and every 5 years onwards.
• Flexible working patterns that suit you and all of our roles have well-defined career progression.
• We provide competitive expenses for both mileage (55p per mile) and subsistence, plus access to a comprehensive employee benefits scheme.

Please visit The Sandwell Deal via this hyperlink

https://sandwelldeal.co.uk

Hybrid Working

Hours - 37 per week

Band I SCP 44 – 47 (£52,571 - £55,800 per annum) dependent on experience and a relocation allowance of up to £6,500* plus, excellent benefits. 

We are proud to create an environment where our employees are nurtured, caseloads are manageable and continuous professional development is encouraged. With a culture of collaborative working and the child at the heart of everything we do, there’s never been a more exciting time to join the Trust.

Sandwell Children’s Trust has a vacancy for a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to join our Quality Assurance Unit on a permanent basis. 

The LADO is based in our Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Service alongside the Child  Protection Conference Chairs and Independent Review Officers, managed by three Principal IRO’s and has a dedicated Business Admin Officer.

As the Local Authority Designated Officer you will: -

• Be part of a wider management team involved in the delivery of the Safeguarding Unit improvement plan.
• Be responsible for:  Providing advice, information and guidance to employers and voluntary organizations around allegations and concerns against people who work with children;
• To chair complex multi-agency meetings in line with statutory guidance, overseeing individual cases from all partner agencies;
• Ensure the child’s voice is heard and that they are safeguarded;
• Ensure there is a consistent, fair and thorough process for all persons working with children and young people;
• Monitor the progression of all cases to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible.
• Develop and maintain accurate records and report on the work of the LADO in quarterly and annual reports.
• Contribute to the delivery of training through Sandwell Childrens Safeguarding Partnership and our learning and development team.
• Hold a small number of Children We Care For and Children on Child Protection Plans as Independent Chair (capacity allowing).
• Chair complex strategy meetings specifically in respect of children who are “at risk of significant harm” (capacity allowing).
• Actively participate in the quality assurance function of the effectiveness of the LADO.
  
  About you:

• You will be a Social Work England registered social worker with a minimum of 5 years’ post qualification experience in Children’s Social Care.
• You will possess a highly developed specialist knowledge of Social Work Practice.
• You will be an experienced Senior Practitioner, Independent Chair or Team Manager.
• You will need to be a committed, confident and competent professional who has a proven record of progressing / managing complex child protection investigations relating to both children who are looked after by the local authority or children subject to a child protection plan.
• Be able to demonstrate excellent organisational skills and contribute to the ongoing improvement of the LADO Service and its delivery to a range of partner agencies,
• Demonstrate in your practice your understanding of the strength and merit of working in partnership with a range of agencies to keep children safe.
• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication and report writing skills. You will be both passionate and ambitious for children in Sandwell.

When people join the team at Sandwell they say it feels like they become part of the family…they have #ComeHomeToSandwell. With the work that we have done so far and with the ambitions we have for the future, it’s a really exciting time to join Sandwell Children’s Trust and to become part of our Family.

So, if you think your future could lie with Sandwell Children’s Trust, then we’d love to hear from you.

Sandwell Children's Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable groups including children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An Enhanced DBS is required for this position and registration with Social Work England.

If you require further information on the role or working for us please email recruitment_childrenstrust@sandwell.gov.uk and a member of our Recruitment Team will be happy to give you a call.

To apply please click on the apply button below

https://sandwelldeal.co.uk

*Terms & Conditions apply for relocation allowance