Support Officer

Salary: £27,334 to £29,777 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full time - 37 hours per week
Location: based at County Hall North, Horsham with hybrid working on a rota's basis

• Do you possess good communication skills?
• Are you resilient, adaptable, and organised?
• Have you worked in a multi-agency setting before?

Then this might be the role for you!

As an Integrated Front Door (IFD) Support Officer in the Integrated Front Door (IFD), you will be working as part of a multi-disciplinary team including police, health, education and social workers. The IFD team is the access point to Children's Social Care in West Sussex.

The team's key role is to undertake an initial review of all contact made to the local authority for a request for service for a child or young person, and to make an initial recommendation utilising the West Sussex Levels of Need.

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

The Opportunity

In this role, you will be a member of a multi-agency team with responsibility for gathering information to inform decisions about the level of need for a child or young person into Children's social care. You will provide a recommendation for the appropriate outcomes, while ensuring that practice is compliant with statutory responsibilities and that the child or young person is not at immediate risk of harm.

The work will involve regular contact with people who access or need the service who may present challenging behaviours, and/or subject matter which may be distressing, for example, dealing with vulnerable individuals and families or those with complex problems.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will need to:

• Analyse and interpret information to complete initial assessments of the level of need on a case-by-case basis. Also ensuring that if the level of risk for harm is high, that it is escalated accordingly.
• Work within a multi-agency setting to support the decision-making process within the function and respond sensitively and flexibly dependant on the audience of the communication.
• Be able to identify range of interventions and apply the most suitable or appropriate service for a child or family in line with their needs.
• Understand and reflect on the impact of your work and the effects it may have on the individuals you are working to support. Know when you need to escalate and seek help to ensure the needs are met.
• GCSE English and Maths (Grades 9-4 or A-C) or equivalent to demonstrate experience of operating at this level of literacy/numeracy.
• Experience of providing advice and guidance to individuals.
• Being able to work under pressure and within strict timescales.
• Experience of applying relevant legislation, policies, and procedures to individual pieces of work.
• An awareness of the policies, practices, and procedures relevant to providing support to children and families as well as the role of social care.
• Sound and accurate IT knowledge with experience of maintaining databases with clear, accurate records of all work undertaken and producing records, reports and correspondence for a variety of audiences.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

About us

We are committed to improving our services for the children and families we support in West Sussex. In May 2023, Ofsted Inspectors praised West Sussex County Council's Children's Services for its 'relentless approach to improving practice,' giving the service an overall rating of 'requires improvement', with 'good' judgements for children in care, leadership and management. The judgements on children needing help and protection and children leaving care are they 'require improvement to be good.' Inspectors recognised the 'strong, determined and cohesive leadership team' who have made significant improvements since 2019 and their commitment and focus to make further improvements.

The Integrated Front Door brings together Children's Social Care, Early Help and a multi-disciplinary team to provide an effective way to manage referrals in West Sussex. As the first point of contact with children and families, the IFD can influence their entire journeys. As a fast-moving service everyone can make a difference and we build strong relationships with a wide range of partner agencies including police, health and housing professionals who are co-located and working together to ensure the best outcomes for children, young people and families.

For further information about us and about working in Children's Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit Careers in children's social work in West Sussex.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.