SAFER Practitioner

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Exploitation Practitioner to join Oxfordshire County Council's Safeguarding Adolescents From Exploitation and Risk (SAFER) Team. In this important role, you will complete direct work and support with children and their families where there are concerns regarding Child Criminal and Child Sexual Exploitation, co-ordinate and guide exploitation consultations for lead professionals and professional networks, and be a key partner in the development of Oxfordshire County Council's Exploitation offer to children, their families, Multi Agency partners and the wider community.

Responsibilities

• You will provide expert consultations to professionals and professional networks around children who are at risk of Child Criminal Exploitation and/or Child Sexual Exploitation.
• You will provide direct interventions and support to children and their families who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing Child Criminal Exploitation and/or Child Sexual Exploitation.
• You will be closely linked to the Oxfordshire County Council Childrens Service Multi Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) panels and Exploitation triage meetings.
• You will work closely with allocated Social Workers, the Youth Justice Team, the Police Harm Reduction Unit, the Targeted Youth Support Service, Schools and other relevant support services.
• You will provide intensive responses to young people and their families via a range of evidence-based interventions, support with safety planning and Multi Agency Risk Assessment Planning (MARAMP) meetings to reduce the risk related to criminal exploitation and/or sexual exploitation and assist the Lead Professional to manage and reduce those safeguarding risks.
• You will provide close working alignment to statutory service provision e.g. Child Protection Plans, Risk Outside the Home (ROTH) plans, Child in Need Plans, Criminal Justice Orders and MARAMP risk management plans. You will provide regular updates to the statutory Lead Professional and the MACE panel.
• You will represent the Adolescence and Prevention service as required in internal and external forums as appropriate.

About you

• Deliver a range of specialist targeted support to children and their parents / carers using evidence-based interventions that focus on a range of complex areas including exploitation, mental health, domestic abuse, sexual risk, online harm, protective behaviours and challenging behaviour.
• Continually assess the safeguarding needs of children as part of a family unit, raising concerns through line management in line with relevant safeguarding guidance.
• Deliver evidence based bespoke programmes of support that are flexible and creative (e.g. Parenting education, safety planning, knife crime), using a variety of intervention methods including motivational interviewing and solution focused approaches in line with the Family Safeguarding approach.
• Work with partner agencies to provide a coordinated response to risk and ensure the best use of organisational resources to embed change.
• Completing plans of work with children and their families and then maintaining detailed records of interventions and correspondence, recording evidence of progress and resetting targets if appropriate.
• Apply sensitive approaches and follow GDPR protocols when handling issues pertaining to confidentiality, information sharing, consent, the rights of children and the responsibilities of parents and professionals.
• Undertake appropriate training relevant to the service delivery.
• Develop collaborative partnerships with other statutory and voluntary agencies who have a remit for working preventatively with children and young people.
• Actively promote the equalities and diversity agenda in the workplace and in service delivery.
• Undertake continuous professional development and be aware of new developments, legislation, initiatives, guidelines, policies and procedures as appropriate to the role.

Benefits

• Technology to support agile working
• 30 days' holiday per annum plus bank holidays
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Local government pension scheme
• Range of family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Excellent learning and development opportunities

Disability Confident: Oxfordshire County Council is a Disability Confident employer. We may offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria. We may also offer interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those within three years of leaving the service if they meet the essential criteria.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Oxfordshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We strive to reflect the commitments across recruitment and selection practices.

Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.