Location: Pollock Avenue, Hamilton
Hours: 35 per week, permanent
Work Pattern: to be discussed at the interview
Salary / Hourly Rate: £31.39 - £31.84
Application Closing Date: 5 May 2026 at 11:55pm
Emergency Social Work Services (ESWS) is a full time emergency social work service covering 128.5 hours per week, operating 365 days a year. GSWS provides responsive, consistent, and appropriate pathways to services, supports and interventions for ESWS users in South Lanarkshire Council.
ResponsibilitiesThe Team Leader will work over a three week shift rota, be expected to work weekends and public holidays dependent on the rota, and oversee shift delivery aligned to the wider delivery of Social Work services. This includes line management of social work assistants and senior management on call responsibility between 01:45 and 08:45 (weekdays) and 01:45 and 07:45 (weekends). The role requires the Team Leader to coordinate with daytime Social Work services and ensure strong working links between Emergency Social Work and locality Social Work offices.
The candidate will join a well established Social Work team in a management role. You will be responsible for day to day decisions during the out of hours period with the central objective of ensuring that the service is responsive to wide variations of referrals. The central objective of the role is to contribute towards the safety of individuals, families and communities. The role requires a strong focus on partnership working primarily with Police and Health colleagues but also with various other agencies. A sound knowledge of the legislative and policy base which guides and underpins statutory Social Work Services is essential.
QualificationsThe successful candidate should be registered with the SSSC, qualified to degree/diploma level in Social Work, and have an interest and commitment in all areas of Social Work delivery. Experience of managing and leading teams, providing supervision and managing performance, is an essential criterion. Experience in managing Social Work delivery within the public protection arena is also essential. The candidate should demonstrate leadership skills, be flexible to the needs of the service, and be able to prioritise work particularly when leading a small team. The candidate must also be a committed team player enthusiastic about leading the service and working collaboratively with other social work leaders and partner agencies.
The successful candidate should have a full UK driving licence.
Legislative and Safety ChecksThis post is excepted in terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 2003.
This post is considered Regulated Work with Children, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act, 2007. Therefore, it is an offence to apply if you are barred from working with children.
Preferred candidates will be required to join the PVG Scheme, or undergo a PVG Scheme Update check, prior to a formal offer of employment being made.
An Overseas Criminal Records Check is required where applicants were born outside the UK (Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) or who have lived or worked outside the UK for a continuous period of three months in the past ten years. Applicants are responsible for providing evidence of the Overseas Criminal Record Check. The check must be translated into English and should come from the police, judicial authority, government department or home embassy of the relevant country. The check must include an official statement confirming that the applicant does not have any history of or pending criminal record proceedings. Checks may be carried out to authenticate the documents provided.
Equal Opportunities and InclusionThe Council is committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion in its workforce. We welcome applications from all community sectors, including under represented groups. We are keen to receive applications from candidates who have a disability, who are from a care experienced background, from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background, from a military service background and from those who are new to Scotland.
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria as outlined in the job profile for this position.
As holders of the UK Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award, the Council is committed to supporting members of the armed forces community, including service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families. Service leavers, their close family members, veterans and reservists will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria as outlined in the job profile.
BenefitsSouth Lanarkshire Council is the unitary authority serving the South Lanarkshire council area in Scotland. The council has its headquarters in Hamilton, has 16,000 employees, and a budget of almost £1bn. The large and varied geographical territory includes rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark, Strathaven and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, and East Kilbride, which was Scotland's first new town.
Our vision is for South Lanarkshire as set out in our Economic Strategy: to have one of the strongest and most dynamic economies in Scotland, where businesses, communities, and residents achieve their full potential and prosper.
We will achieve this through three key interrelated themes: