Senior Referral and Advice Officer (Internal)

• Suffolk County Council 
• Address: Landmark House, Ipswich, IP1 5PB – On-Site
• Salary: £40,777 per annum (pro rata if part time)
• Hours: 37 flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

This post is open to current Suffolk County Council staff only.
 

Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Suffolk County Council. We’re looking for a creative and driven Senior Referral and Advice Officer to join our Integrated Front Door (IFD). If you’re passionate about making a real difference to children, young people and families, we want to hear from you.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities 

This is a fast-paced, rewarding role at the front door of Children and Young People’s Services, where every decision you make helps shape outcomes for children and families across Suffolk.

On a typical day, you will be working with partners, colleagues and families to make timely, informed decisions about safeguarding and support. You’ll bring your expertise to assess need, manage risk and ensure the right help is provided at the right time.

On a day-to-day basis, you will:

• Provide information, advice and guidance to colleagues, partners and families to support positive outcomes 
• Use your knowledge and experience to determine appropriate levels of intervention 
• Work with complex cases and competing priorities in a dynamic environment 
• Offer telephone, written and face-to-face support where required 
• Maintain accurate and timely records and produce high-quality reports 
• Support and provide oversight to colleagues within the team 
• Work in partnership with agencies including Police, Health, Education and Probation to deliver coordinated responses.

You’ll play a key role in early decision-making, ensuring safeguarding concerns are responded to in a proportionate, timely and person-centred way.

You will need 

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about safeguarding and confident working in a multi-agency environment.

Our ideal candidate will bring:

• A Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field 
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, risk management and early intervention frameworks 
• Experience of working directly with children, young people and families 
• Confidence to challenge and influence partners professionally to achieve safe outcomes 
• The ability to assess, analyse and make decisions in complex situations 
• Experience of multi-agency working and partnership collaboration 
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
• Experience of supervising or supporting colleagues 
• Knowledge of Signs of Safety or solution-focused approaches.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.  

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team   

At Suffolk County Council, we aspire for every child to live their best life.

The Integrated Front Door is a fast-paced, multi-agency environment bringing together professionals from across the partnership – including social care, police, health and education – to ensure concerns are responded to quickly, consistently and effectively.

You’ll be part of a service that:

• Supports early decision-making and earlier help
• Works within a shared safeguarding framework and statutory duties
• Promotes joined-up, high-quality responses for children and families
• Plays a key role in Suffolk’s Families First approach.

This is an office-based role, five days per week. We believe that being together matters. Visible leadership supports better decision-making, stronger oversight, professional development and a culture where practitioners feel supported to do their best work.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker, shaped by the voices of young people: find out more. 

Empowering Everyone 

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information 

For an informal conversation, please contact Milly Clarke by calling 01473 263139 or emailing milly.clark2@suffolk.gov.uk or Sean Segal by calling 01473 260673 or sean.segal@suffolk.gov.uk.

How to apply  

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) (Word).

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application. 

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.  

1. Describe your experience of assessing safeguarding concerns for children, young people and families. How did you determine the level of intervention required and what was the outcome?

2. Tell us about a time you managed a complex or high-volume caseload. How did you prioritise your work to ensure children remained safe?

3. Describe a time when you provided advice or guidance to a colleague or partner on a safeguarding or complex case. What approach did you take?

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.  

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page. 

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences, so we encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the process. You can also read our Using AI in Your Application and Interview guidance to understand acceptable and unacceptable use of AI. If AI is used inappropriately, your application may not be progressed. 

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412.  You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. 

Closing date: 11.30pm, 23 September 2026

Interview date: Week Commencing 28 September 2026

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).