Principal Practitioner

To help us recruit social workers who are committed to working in Middlesbrough we are currently offering a 10% supplement to social work salaries, which will be reviewed at the end of March 2027.

As a Principal Practitioner in the Access Safeguarding Team, you will play a key leadership role in supporting the Team Manager with the day-to-day running and operational oversight of the service. This includes providing advice, and reflective supervision to staff.

The Access Safeguarding Team operates in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, requiring strong organisational skills, the ability to manage competing priorities, and a calm, confident approach to decision-making; supported by in-depth knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Making Safeguarding Personal, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

You will also provide safeguarding advice and guidance to professionals and members of the public. Safeguarding in Middlesbrough is changing and developing as we respond to changing patterns of abuse and emerging trends. We are currently working with the implementation of the regional adult exploitation strategy and are looking for team members who embrace change and are committed to making a difference to people's lives. We strongly believe that this is a rewarding opportunity to work with adults aged 18+ who are at risk of abuse or neglect.

Our work is varied and the role includes triaging safeguarding concerns and undertaking initial and Section 42 enquiries in line with the Care Act 2014 and Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB) procedures; being involved in MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) and MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) conferences, following the local Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Exploitation pathway; working closely with our Commissioning Team, internal Social Work Teams and local partner agencies and providers to ensure effective multi-agency working to safeguard adults at risk.

We are seeking to appoint a Principal Practitioner with a minimum of 2 years' post qualifying experience of working with safeguarding enquiries and leading safeguarding investigations.