Team Manager, Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing and Trafficked Children.

Team Manager within a safeguarding team at Hull City Council. Responsible for providing supervision and a management oversight to progress children’s plans and ensure their safety is paramount.

Practice Lead Social Worker. Experienced Advanced Social Worker embedding Signs of Safety in practice at Hull City Council. Championing and developing best practice across the council.

Qualified Social Worker working in Child Protection and Court Work.

As an elected executive (sabbatical) officer of Hull University Union (HUU) I represent the 17,000 students studying at The University of Hull. Part of my role is to be a trustee and company director of HUU and HUU Services Limited contributing to the board of Trustee’s strategic decision making about the future of the organization. My day to day responsibilities include: maintaining a positive relationship between HUU, the university and the wider community. In partnership with the university I work to ensure that our students' wellbeing and welfare is a priority, attending many university meetings representing students’ views and inputting into the University's strategic decisions and change projects.I support, enable and guide a large number of student volunteers including: LINKS (St John Ambulance first aiders), representatives of the Women's Committee, B.A.M.E students, LGBT+ students and Disabled Students committee. Recently I have successfully implemented All Gender Toilets into our building following a student led campaign, promoting equality, diversity and the safety of our members. I have helped to co-ordinate, run and lead a variety of campaigns including helping students to find a house, ensuring that students receive a good quality of accommodation and are treated sufficiently well within the local community through working with landlords. I have helped to develop and strengthen community relations through a joint strategy with the university and the city council. Other areas of my work have included research and campaigns into LGBT+ student inclusion in sport, through the encouragement of wearing Rainbow Laces at our annual Varsity Event. I have successfully implemented All Gender Toilets in our Student Union building. I have run an evening of information and fundraising for the White Ribbon Campaign, with all monies raised going to the Purple House Women’s Centre on Preston Road.

Working at Hull Churches Housing Association was my final placement at University. It was through this role that I was signed off as a professionally capable social worker. I worked on a supported housing site which housed children and families who were on the child protection register, or who were children in need.I worked with tenants in various allocated times each week. These sessions would include parenting support, stimulation of children, budgeting and tenancy help. Each morning I would undertake a welfare check to ensure that each family was awake and getting ready for the day. This helped the parents in their routines, helping for successful child development. Hull Churches Housing is a temporary housing association, and the aim of our intervention was to help people move up the ‘family star’ and move into the community, away from supported housing. Once tenants have moved off site they are entitled to 6 months of similar support after. I worked with both on site families, and families in need of immediate support on our outreach ‘First Steps’ programme. This was high level support for families whose day to day living was described as chaotic. I would work using the same processes of the Family Star, but it was extremely important I was aware of how to adapt this to families in a time of crisis. I liaised with social workers and other professionals involved in each of the families on site and attended the necessary meetings representing Hull Churches Housing Association. I attended core groups and Case Conferences, and wrote Review Child Protection Conference assessments submitted to the Hull Safeguarding Children Board. I worked in various multiagency ways, and always worked holistically to ensure the service users best interests were the first priority. In both my placements I kept accurate records and worked to company policy. I work in a timely fashion, and I am able to work to an extremely high standard.

Working at Doorstep of Hull helped me gain the skills necessary to work in this sector. I was responsible for completing the initial assessment on each tenant who moved in with us, alongside their tenant agreement and housing benefit forms. I helped tenants who were successfully moving on from Hostel Accommodation search for houses and bid through Home Search. I worked closely with each tenant and tailored meetings specifically to them. I understood the needs of each tenant, and how to work with them individually. I helped tenants seek access to community support and agencies, and worked with various members whom had substance use issues. I initiated house meetings to resolve problems, and used group therapy sessions to help bond the houses together. I worked with asylum seekers and refugees, and helped them adapt to their life in England, by becoming a recognisable area of support. I built up a level of trust with each tenant, whilst maintaining professional boundaries and working to Doorstep of Hull’s professional guidelines.Working at Doorstep of Hull helped me to understand the differing ways people may find themselves homeless, and how we can support them using a multiagency, holistic response in the city of Hull. I have also completed a Practice Capabilities Portfolio which I would be more than happy to present.