All about the Role 

Are you an experienced social worker who would like to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people at risk of exploitation?

If the answer is yes then please carry on reading!

The Social Worker in the Exploitation and Missing Team plays a pivotal role in safeguarding vulnerable children and young people who are at risk of exploitation, trafficking, and going missing. This position involves direct work with individuals, their families, and partner agencies to identify risks, develop protective strategies, and ensure the best possible outcomes. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to child protection, advocacy, and multi-agency collaboration.

What will the job entail

• Take a trauma informed approach in assessments of children and young people at risk of exploitation or who have gone missing, ensuring their immediate safety and wellbeing.
• Develop, implement, and review care plans in partnership with families and relevant professionals, focusing on risk reduction and long-term support.
• Work closely with police, health services, education providers, and community organisations to coordinate safeguarding responses.
• Provide direct support, advice, and interventions to children, young people, and their families, empowering them to make informed decisions and build resilience.
• Maintain accurate case records and contribute to reports for meetings, court proceedings, and statutory reviews.
• Participate in training, supervision, and continuous professional development relevant to exploitation and missing children.

All about you

• Qualified social worker (degree or equivalent) with registration to the relevant regulatory body.
• Experience working with children and young people in safeguarding or child protection settings.
• Sound knowledge of legislation, guidance, and best practice in relation to child exploitation and missing children.
• Excellent communication, assessment, and analytical skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multi-agency environment.
• Commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and anti-oppressive practice.

All about our Team

Our Exploitation and Missing team (EmPower) sits within the Young People's Safeguarding service. The EmPower team are a passionate, skilled and experienced group of people who work hard to build relationships with young people, their families and colleagues to reduce risk, access opportunity and promote change. Recently Highly Commended as Team of the Year across Peterborough Children's Services which was very highly deserved. You will support the Team Manager and Senior Practitioner in identifying next steps and building on the  high standard of practice across the team.

Our Benefits

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme… 

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes 
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)  
• Access to car lease scheme 
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances 
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings 
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth 
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day 
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network 
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards 

Our Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success. 

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us. For an informal discussion about the role please contact Emma Joyce on 07901 670835