Jobs

Assessment and joint investigation team

As part of our team you'll get the chance to make positive changes with the families you work with.

We decide if it’s necessary to investigate under Section 47, alongside the police and other professionals. We also do Section 17 assessments - when there might be children at risk of harm or in need of services. We provide immediate, short-term input into the lives of children and their families.  Determine if they're at risk and find appropriate support quickly. We also look at the wider support network around those children.

We're there right at the beginning of the journey with families, to determine if children are at risk of significant harm. We might develop a child in need plan or refer to early help services if that’s more appropriate.

We'll escalate concerns if we need to, in line with safeguarding legislation.  We're always working to identify the right support for children and their families.

Reasons to join us

Join our team and you'll benefit from:

• a very supportive team, with managers who are available and approachable
• the chance to be creative and think on your feet - to make sure children get the support they need quickly
• great team morale
• regular support and supervision
• access to training and other development options
• 'stop the clock' catch-up meetings
• co-location with the police and health teams, which prevents delays
• variety - our job is different every day

We're part of a wider team and all work really well together.  As we're involved with families in crisis, we have to building relationships with them.  This can be over a short period while we assess their situation.

We'll always do whatever we can to help. So join us - you won't be disappointed!

Hear what our social workers have to say...

Children in care team

We work with children in foster or adoption care and develop plans for long-term placements. We manage the care plans to make sure all aspects of that young person’s life and needs are met.

We work with children placed across the borough, as well as a small number in out-of-authority placements. Barnsley currently has about 360 children and young people in care, with approximately 150 of those within the long-term children in care team.

Working with the virtual school, health services, looked after children services, and internal and external fostering agencies, you’ll get a variety of experience working in our team.

Reasons to join us

It's great to work with us because:

• we’re a friendly team
• we support each other, work collaboratively and have a really settled team
• we work closely - it’s nice to be back in the office together after the pandemic
• we welcome anyone new to the team; you'll always be, and feel, part of our family straight away
• we have a good sense of humour and like our biscuits!
• the role is so rewarding.

One of our team says, "The main reason this team is great for me is the children – that’s why I come to work. There are challenges which do come with social work, but working with children and seeing them develop, or the positivity when you've done something for them to help, is amazing."

Children and young people's team

The children and young people's team are in charge of safeguarding children. It's done through through child in need and child protection plans. We also start and end the Public Law Outline process and care proceedings. We make plans for children with their best interests at the centre.

We're focused on helping development and progression. We believe that this provides the best outcomes for the children of Barnsley.

We're a close-knit and supportive team. We have diverse levels of experience. It varies from assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) workers, to experienced, senior and advanced practitioners.

Reasons to join us

The varied levels of experience in our team really complement one another. ASYEs bring great new ideas to the team. Our experienced workers are committed to co-working and supporting others in their growth.

We help each another and have created a friendly atmosphere to work in. Our team morale is positive and something we focus a lot.

Feedback from our team members is that our managers are helpful and always available when needed.

Hear what our social workers have to say...

Contextual safeguarding team

We’re a multi agency team and work with partners such as the police, health services and housing teams. We develop creative ways to keep children safe and plans for children in need and childcare. We’re not just about typical child plans - we look at the wider, creative area of work.

We're involved in preventative work, such as the early indicators of child exploitation. We look at wider issues, such as meetings around areas for concern and peer groups, and with interventions in schools.

Our team also:

• take part in police operations
• work with homeless young people aged 16 and 17
• get involved in workshops in schools
• attend drop-in sessions for young people
• train staff

Reasons to join us

It's great to work in our team because:

• we have a great relationship with the partners we work with
• we all work together easily and well
• there's a lot support from the team manager
• we have regular reflective supervision meetings
• we always have support from managers when more difficult cases arise
• you can complete training which isn’t offered anywhere else. This includes subjects such police training around child exploitation.

It’s a really exciting time to join our team. There's research into best practice, and we're really developing our exploitation service. Join us and you'll be part of something exciting and be able to contribute to our future development.

Disabled children's team

We’re a fantastic group of dedicated and friendly social workers, and would love for you to join us!

Our team covers a wide range of roles. These include:

• Assessing the support needs of a disabled child and their family. This includes looking at respite needs, care packages, home care and any other support the family needs.
  
  
• Working with mental health services, health, education, paediatrics and more.
  
  
• Working with the adults’ team to make sure each child has a great support package when they move to post-18 services.
  
  
• Covering safeguarding for children with a disability. This includes child in need, child protection, looked after children and care proceedings.

Reasons to join us

We're a very supportive, settled team, with lots of experienced social workers. Some of our social workers have been with us for over 10 years!

Our social workers come from a wide range of backgrounds. These include residential, looked after children and disabled children social work.

There’s lots of chances for training and you're always encouraged to continue to develop. For example, we have social work champions for:

• education
• sexual abuse
• looked after children

Having champions not only allows you to develop specific knowledge, but you can learn from those peers too. Join our team and you'll also receive regular monthly supervisions.

Hear what our social workers have to say...

Fostering team

Our team helps find people who can give a safe, loving home to a child when they need it most.

We have two teams in our fostering service. One's made up of social workers that recruit and assess potential foster carers. This team also supports those who care for a child under a special guardianship order. The second are supervising social workers who support our approved foster carers.

Being an assessing social worker includes things like:

• attending recruitment events
• running fostering information sessions
• doing home visits with potential new carers and giving them the support they need right up to the fostering panel
• assessing and working with kinship carers

Once approved, foster carers are given a supervising social worker. This person does regular home visits with the foster family and checks the child is being well cared for. They also help the foster carer with learning and development, and offer them emotional support.

Reasons to join us

It’s great to work in our team because:

• we all work together to retain foster carers and achieve better outcomes for children
• there’s lots of opportunity to work together, use your own initiative and learn whilst on the job
• you'll build a positive and supportive relationship with all of your peers
• we have a great sense of team work
• we have a high retention rate of staff
• there’s a clear pathway to progress your career
• you'll have regular reflective supervision meetings
• our team members feel that their manager invests in them

We’d love for you to join our team as a fostering social worker!

Leaving care team

Future Directions is the name of our leaving care team - helping young people transition from care into independent adult living.

We work with 16 to 18 year olds who are still in care, and 18 to 25 year olds who have left care. We prepare a pathway plan with young people that covers different aspects of leaving care. This includes health, education, finances, housing, support networks and independent living skills.

At 17 and a half years old we give the young person a personal advisor to help them transition to adult services. We then work with them aged 18 to 25 to support them in those crucial early adult years.

We also complete annual needs assessments to make sure we’re supporting the young person in the best way possible.

Reasons to join us

It's great to work in our team because:

• we're a rewarding, supportive team and really make a difference to young people in Barnsley.
• we're part of the national leaving care benchmarking forum, so you can access training tools and resources, and take part in workshops.
• there’s the chance to work with both children’s and adult’s services, as well as partner agencies.

If you:

• enjoy working with older young people
• building trusting and positive relationships, and
• preparing young people for adult life

a job in our team could be the perfect role for you!

Screening team

Our screening team are the front door of social care. They're part of the multi agency safeguarding hub (MASH) team. The MASH team includes social workers, police officers, and health and probation services. They work closely to work out what help a family needs.

It’s a fast-paced environment, making serious decisions. They work together with partners to support families.

We have 24 hours to complete a screening job, so we don’t carry cases forward. Screening social workers also don’t have caseloads like other teams.

Reasons to join us

It's great to work in our team because:

• we work set hours from 9am to 5pm every day. Overtime is paid for any extra hours for service needs.
• our work is completed by phone or email. We don’t do family visits, so home working is an option.
• we're small and stable with great retention.
• our team manager works with social workers and really supports the team.
• there’s a very open and positive working culture. We reflect on cases together as a team
• there's a strong multi agency approach.