Emergency Duty Team Senior Practitioner (Fixed-term 6 months)

Job summary

• To ensure the provision of an out of hours emergency response and/or intervention to, children young people and families, vulnerable adults, other agencies to address safeguarding concerns and reduce risks until normal office hours resume.
• To provide out of hours advice and guidance to professionals working with vulnerable adults, children, young people, and families.
• To be the first point of contact for professionals, children, families and vulnerable adults or members of the public who have a concern and are making an emergency out of hours referral to statutory services
• To contribute to and apply the Councils strategy to support vulnerable adults, children, and families through the provision of out of hours emergency responses.
• To provide service delivery in line with Oxfordshires principles and values of working with partners, vulnerable adults children, and families and within the relevant legislative framework.

Main duties of the job

You will appreciate this is an important and essential service and as such, the role requires a significant level of autonomy and experience gained from a statutory child protection service is essential - You need to be a qualified social worker with Social Work England registration and should be someone able to manage competing demands, reflective and analytical, and proportionate in your decision-making whilst maintaining a clear focus on the best interests of children and vulnerable adults.

About us

The Emergency Duty Team is a critical part of our service to children, families and vulnerable adults in Oxfordshire. Our team covers all hours of the week that fall outside of the standard office hours and offers staff a dynamic, fast-paced role responding to those in our communities who require immediate help and support during emergencies out of hours. We are located at Barton Children's Centre.

Details

• Date posted: 04 June 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £46,142 to £49,282 a year
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 6 months
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: VP152C0AE0
• Job locations: Oxford, OX3 8DD, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

About Us

The Emergency Duty Team is a critical part of our service to children, families and vulnerable adults in Oxfordshire.Our team covers all hours of the week that fall outside of the standard office hours and offers staff a dynamic, fast-paced role responding to those in our communities who require immediate help and support during emergencies out of hours. We are located at Barton Children's Centre

About the Role

• To ensure the provision of an out of hours emergency response and/or intervention to, children young people and families, vulnerable adults, other agencies to address safeguarding concerns and reduce risks until normal office hours resume.
• To provide out of hours advice and guidance to professionals working with vulnerable adults, children, young people, and families.
• To be the first point of contact for professionals, children, families and vulnerable adults or members of the public who have a concern and are making an emergency out of hours referral to statutory services
• To contribute to and apply the Councils strategy to support vulnerable adults, children, and families through the provision of out of hours emergency responses.
• To provide service delivery in line with Oxfordshires principles and values of working with partners, vulnerable adults children, and families and within the relevant legislative framework.

About you

You will appreciate this is an important and essential service and as such, the role requires a significant level of autonomy and experience gained from a statutory child protection service is essential - You need to be a qualified social worker with Social Work England registration and should be someone able to manage competing demands, reflective and analytical, and proportionate in your decision-making whilst maintaining a clear focus on the best interests of children and vulnerable adults.

Rewards and Benefits

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too.We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology tosupport agile working.We offer some of the very best learning and development opportunities tosupport your ongoing development.

We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 32 days, as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.

Due to the nature of this role, the salary also attracts a 15% uplift for working unsociable hours.

Ourcommitment to:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk