Experienced Social Worker - Multi Agency Safeguarding Team


Company:	Portsmouth City Council
Salary:	£44,252 to £48,738 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Civic Offices, PO1 2AL
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	10 Sept 2026
Closing date:	23 Sept 2026

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Summary

Join an Outstanding Children's Service and Shape the Future of Family Help!

We are looking for an Experienced Social Worker to join our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and become part of a highly skilled team responsible for making timely, informed decisions that help ensure children receive the right support at the right time. Working alongside partners from Police, Health, Education, Housing, Probation and other safeguarding agencies, you will play a vital role in identifying risk, assessing need and helping to safeguard some of the most vulnerable children in our community.

Why join Portsmouth?

Portsmouth City Council's Children's Services have been recognised by Ofsted as an Outstanding Local Authority, reflecting our commitment to delivering excellent outcomes for children and families. We invest in our workforce through learning and development opportunities, reflective supervision, career progression pathways and a strong culture of support and collaboration.

About the Role

As an Experienced Social Worker within MASH, you will:

Analyse safeguarding contacts and referrals to assess risk and determine appropriate thresholds. Gather and evaluate information from a range of partner agencies to inform decision-making.

Make recommendations regarding statutory intervention, Child in Need services, Section 47 enquiries and Early Help support. Ensure children's voices, experiences and outcomes remain central to every decision.

Provide high-quality, evidence-based professional analysis and recording. Work effectively within statutory timescales in a fast-paced environment.

Support and mentor less experienced colleagues through coaching, guidance and role modelling. Contribute to service development, quality assurance and continuous improvement activities.

The ideal candidate

You will be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England and have significant post-qualifying experience within statutory children's social care. You will bring strong analytical skills, sound professional judgement and confidence in managing complex safeguarding concerns.

We are particularly interested in practitioners who:

Have excellent risk assessment and decision-making skills.

Thrive in a collaborative multi-agency environment.

Demonstrate professional curiosity and critical thinking.

Can confidently challenge where necessary to improve outcomes for children.

Are committed to reflective practice and continuous professional development.

Put children and young people at the heart of everything they do.

Experience within a MASH or Front Door service and knowledge of contextual safeguarding, exploitation, domestic abuse, parental mental health and substance misuse would be advantageous.

Please ensure that you download and read the full job profile attached for the details and expectations of this role, paying particular attention the section 'Who is the person' as you will need to refer to this when completing your Personal statement.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

If you have any questions, or would like an informal discussion about the role, please email: Katrine Ugur -

Katrina.Ugur@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Hybrid working arrangements - A minimum 2 days in office per week - depending on the needs of the business.

Interview date -28th & 30th September 2026

Application process

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.

We strongly encourage candidates to add all Career and Education History to their application, as CVs are not reviewed as part of the shortlisting process.

As part of your application, we ask that you complete apersonal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills.This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience.

You will need to explain any gaps in your career history within the last 5 years - this is essential for all safeguarding roles

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at

Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal. We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under one of our commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however for roles that receive a large number of applications, this is not always possible, and we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Safeguarding

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Standard/Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS

privacy notice before submitting any information.

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact

recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.

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