Social Worker – Adolescent Support Team

Job Description

Job Title: Social Worker – Adolescent Support Team
Specialism: Children’s Services
Location: South Kent, UK
Salary:  Up to £38.00 Per Hour Umbrella
Type: Temporary / Full Time

We are seeking a qualified Social Worker to join an Adolescent Support Team in South Kent. This is an excellent opportunity for a Social Worker with experience working with children and young people, particularly vulnerable and challenging adolescents and their families.

The successful candidate will manage a caseload of complex cases, providing high-quality social work interventions focused on safeguarding, supporting families and achieving positive outcomes for children and young people.

What You Will Do

Case Management: Manage a caseload of complex and difficult cases, undertaking assessment, planning and implementation of appropriate support to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.

Adolescent Support: Build effective relationships with young people aged 11–18, ensuring their voices are heard and their lived experiences are understood.

Crisis Intervention: Use crisis intervention, solution-focused and strengths-based approaches to empower young people and their families.

Safeguarding: Deliver high-quality social work interventions for children in need of protection, with a clear focus on safeguarding and reducing the likelihood of harm.

Homelessness Support: Work closely with 16 and 17-year-old young people who present as homeless, responding quickly to provide early and effective intervention to prevent homelessness.

Family Support: Use negotiation and advocacy skills to support young people and, wherever possible, help them remain within their family network and prevent unnecessary entry into the care system.

Child in Need: Chair Child in Need meetings, coordinate support and work with young people and their families to develop appropriate interventions.

Housing Support: Complete Joint Housing Assessments with District Councils and support young people to attend interviews and meetings in line with their support needs.

Multi-Agency Working: Work collaboratively with CAMHS, Education, Youth Offending Teams, Police, Housing and Local Housing Providers to reduce risks and promote positive outcomes.

Holistic Practice: Promote whole-family approaches and use evidence-based practice to support effective social work interventions.

What We Are Looking For

• A recognized Social Work qualification, including DIPSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
• Relevant experience working within Children’s Services.
• Experience of undertaking direct work with vulnerable and challenging adolescents and their families.
• Strong assessment, planning and social work intervention skills.
• Effective communication, engagement, negotiation and advocacy skills.
• Ability to build positive relationships with young people and understand their lived experience.
• Ability to work effectively with complex and challenging cases.
• Strong partnership-working skills across statutory and other professional services.
• Understanding of safeguarding and the wider safeguarding agenda.
• Ability to use solution-focused and strengths-based approaches.
• Commitment to social work values and supporting children and families to achieve positive change.
• Resilience, commitment and flexibility in responding to challenging situations.

Why South Kent

AST South Kent provides an opportunity to work with young people and families across a range of complex circumstances, with a particular focus on safeguarding, adolescent support and preventing unnecessary entry into the care system.

Working with Ardent Social

At Ardent Social, we are passionate about connecting experienced social work professionals with high-quality opportunities across the UK. We pride ourselves on providing a transparent, supportive and professional recruitment experience tailored to your career goals and aspirations.

Apply now to take the next step in your social work career with Ardent Social.