About the Role
Northamptonshire Children's Trust is looking for experienced Social Workers to join the Duty and Assessment Service-a fast-paced, frontline team at the heart of safeguarding children and young people across the county.
DAAT acts as the single point of contact for all safeguarding concerns, receiving referrals via MASH and progressing them through assessment. This is a dynamic and impactful service, where timely decision-making and direct work with families makes a real difference.
You'll be working in one of six well-structured teams made up of:
- Team Manager
- Advanced Practitioner
- Social Workers & Newly Qualified Social Workers
- Family Support Workers
This is a service that moves at pace, with clear expectations:
- Child in Need visits within 5 days
- Child Protection visits within 24 hours (or same day where required)
Why Join The Team?
- Stable and supportive leadership - experienced, long-standing managers who know the service inside out
Manageable caseloads - capped at 35, typically 25-30, with family-based allocation (often around 5 families per worker) - Structured way of working - clear processes and strong team support
- Geographical consistency - opportunity to work within an allocated patch long-term (e.g. Corby, Daventry, Northampton)
- Training opportunities - access to development via overflow from permanent staff training
Working Arrangements
- Operates on a 6-week duty cycle
- Full office presence required during duty week
- Flexibility outside of duty weeks, with local presence required for visits
Experience/Skills:
- Have a minimum of 2 years DAAT experience
- Are confident operating in a fast-paced frontline environment
- Can make clear, timely and defensible decisions
- Are passionate about safeguarding children and supporting families
If you're an experienced DAAT Social Worker looking for a supportive, structured service where you can make an immediate impact, we'd love to hear from you.
