About Cotswold Safeguarding
Cotswold Safeguarding provides specialist social work, safeguarding consultancy and family support services across the UK. The company works with adults, children, young people and families experiencing complex challenges, including acquired brain injury, trauma, neurodivergence, disability, safeguarding concerns, complex transitions and multi-agency involvement. Its work is person-centred, trauma-informed, outcomes-focused and grounded in high-quality social work practice.
Role Purpose
The Social Worker will provide high-quality, specialist support to children, adults and families with complex needs. The role will involve direct work with clients and families, safeguarding input, multi-agency coordination, advocacy, assessment, planning and professional reporting. The postholder will work collaboratively with case managers, solicitors, rehabilitation professionals, schools, statutory services, care teams and families to improve outcomes, reduce risk and ensure that the voices of children, adults and families are heard and acted upon.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide specialist social work support to children, adults and families experiencing complex circumstances, trauma, disability, acquired brain injury, neurodivergence or safeguarding concerns.
- Undertake holistic assessments of need, risk, strengths, family functioning and support requirements, ensuring that practice is evidence-based and proportionate.
- Develop and review person-centred support plans, safety plans, transition plans and outcome-focused interventions.
- Work directly with families to provide practical and emotional support, build confidence, strengthen routines and promote stability.
- Support children, adults and families to understand and navigate health, education, social care, rehabilitation and legal systems.
- Advocate for clients and families in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency settings, ensuring their views, wishes and needs are clearly represented.
- Contribute to safeguarding planning, risk assessment and professional decision-making, including escalation where concerns are identified.
- Liaise effectively with case managers, solicitors, therapists, schools, local authorities, health professionals, care providers and other relevant agencies.
- Chair, facilitate or contribute to complex meetings where required, ensuring discussions remain focused on outcomes, safety and forward planning.
- Prepare clear, timely and professional records, reports and updates for families, professionals, legal representatives or rehabilitation teams.
- Support transitions such as hospital discharge, returning to education, changes in care arrangements, adolescence, adulthood, supported living or increased independence.
- Assist with embedding care packages, supporting carers and promoting consistent approaches across the wider professional network.
- Promote positive behaviour support approaches, trauma-informed practice and strengths-based family working.
- Maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality and accurate case recording in line with legal, regulatory and organisational requirements.
Safeguarding Responsibilities
- Place the safety, welfare and rights of children and adults at the centre of all work.
- Recognise, assess and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns involving children, adults at risk and families.
- Apply relevant safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, local procedures and professional standards.
- Work collaboratively with statutory safeguarding teams and other agencies to support risk management and decision-making.
- Ensure concerns are recorded clearly and escalated promptly where required.
- Promote a culture of high support and high challenge, maintaining professional curiosity and constructive challenge where practice or outcomes require improvement.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Essential: Recognised social work qualification and current Social Work England registration.
- Desirable: Additional training in safeguarding, trauma-informed practice, mental capacity, positive behaviour support, family work or disability practice.
Experience
- Essential: Experience working with children, adults or families with complex needs, safeguarding concerns or multi-agency involvement.
- Desirable: Experience in medico-legal, rehabilitation, brain injury, child protection, disability, adult social care or independent social work settings.
Knowledge
- Essential: Strong understanding of safeguarding practice, risk assessment, social care legislation, professional standards and person-centred planning.
- Desirable: Knowledge of mental capacity, best interests decision-making, EHCP processes, care packages, transitions, supported living or rehabilitation pathways.
Skills
- Essential: Excellent communication, assessment, report writing, advocacy, professional judgement and multi-agency working skills.
- Desirable: Experience chairing or facilitating complex meetings and supporting families through crisis or transition.
Values
- Essential: Commitment to person-centred, trauma-informed, strengths-based and outcomes-focused practice.
- Desirable: Passion for improving quality of life and ensuring children, adults and families receive exceptional support.
Skills and Attributes
- Calm, confident and professional when working with complex or sensitive situations.
- Able to build trusting relationships with children, adults, families and professionals.
- Highly organised, responsive and able to manage competing priorities.
- Clear and concise written communication, including professional reports and case notes.
- Strong professional curiosity and ability to identify risks, gaps and unmet needs.
- Collaborative approach, with the confidence to challenge respectfully when required.
- Flexible, reflective and committed to continuous professional development.
- Ability to work independently while remaining accountable, supervised and professionally connected.
Requirements
- Social Work England registration.
- Enhanced DBS check suitable for work with children and adults, or willingness to obtain one.
- Right to work in the UK.
- Ability to travel where required for client visits, meetings or assessments.
- Professional indemnity arrangements, where applicable to the working arrangement.
- Commitment to confidentiality, data protection and safe professional practice.
Working Style and Culture
This role would suit a practitioner who is compassionate, practical, reflective and confident working with complexity. Cotswold Safeguarding’s work is collaborative and relationship-based, requiring a social worker who can provide steady, expert input while keeping the needs, wishes and outcomes of the person and family at the centre of practice.
Equal Opportunities and Safer Recruitment
Cotswold Safeguarding is committed to safer recruitment, equality, diversity and inclusion. Appointment will be subject to appropriate checks, references and confirmation of professional registration. The successful candidate will be expected to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding, professional conduct and person-centred practice.
Pay: £18.00-£50.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee mentoring programme
- Flexitime
- Work from home
Work Location: On the road
