Children's social care
At Luton Council, we're dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and families in our community.
Across our children's social care teams, we believe in rewriting people’s stories. We're bound by:
- compassion, tirelessly working to provide love, support
- protection to those who need it most
We believe that every child deserves a safe and nurturing environment and we strive to create that with every action we take.
Our mission is to create a community built upon exceptional services, where all children are loved, belong, and matter. Driven by a passion for progress and a commitment to innovation, we lead the way with a trailblazing spirit and ambitious 2040 vision.
Help us deliver our vision by:
- joining us in this heartfelt journey to transform lives
- building a brighter tomorrow for Luton’s children and families where they can flourish, succeed, and thrive
Our 2040 vision
Our 2040 vision is at the heart of everything we do, with the ambitious aim that no one in Luton will live in poverty.
Learn more about Luton 2040Our values
Luton, a council that CARES. Which means we're collaborative, ambitious, respectful, empowering and supportive.
Read about our valuesEmployee benefits
As you change lives for the better across our communities, you’ll be supported every step of the way.
See what benefits you'll getBeing one of our a social workers
Joining our team means:
- thriving in a collaborative environment
- your insights and ideas are valued
- teamwork is at the core of everything we do
Luton is a diverse and dynamic town and inclusivity is at the heart of our community and workplace culture. We celebrate the rich diversity of our team and the families we serve. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
We're committed to your growth, offering training and development programmes to enhance your skills and advance your career.
We understand the importance of flexibility in your work schedule and believe in working to live - not living to work! Which is why we offer flexible working options, designed to:
- accommodate various needs and circumstances
- promote a healthy work-life balance that helps you thrive
Whether you need adjustments for your home situation, wellbeing needs or operational requirements, we're here to support you every step of the way.
Roles in the teams
Roles in the teams include:
- head of social work academy
- team manager of social work academy
- senior practitioner mentors
- practice educator advisors
Key contacts
Sancha Thomas - Head of Social Work Academy
[email protected]
Jade Webb - Team Manager of Social Work Academy
[email protected]
Recruitment schedule
The academy will recruit at two periods throughout the year – January and September. Please look out on our website during these times for our ASYE applications.
Please email us on [email protected] if:
- you're interested in attending
- you want further information
Why Luton?
We understand the challenges of working in children’s social care, but we also know how incredibly rewarding it can be.
As a social worker with us, you're not just taking on a job - you’re embarking on a mission to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of children and families across Luton.
We know how important positive and meaningful relationships are for children, particularly children and young people in care. It's these relationships that children tell us they value most and can help them overcome challenges in life.
We're committed to building these relationships, offering care, protection and all attributes of love to Luton’s children. Our aims are to support their growth, development, and future success.
Thousands of children in Luton are seeking a change to transform their lives and inspire their future. You can BE this change by working with us.
If you’re driven by passion and ready to embrace the rewarding challenge of children's social care, this is the perfect place for you. We’d love to hear from you
The Families First for Children Pathfinder programme
Luton Council has been selected as one of seven areas for the second wave of the Families First for Children Pathfinder programme, aimed at protecting vulnerable children and strengthening family support. The initiative builds on existing early intervention services and involves close collaboration with Bedfordshire Police, the Integrated Care Board, and other partners.
The programme focuses on providing targeted early help for families facing issues such as domestic abuse, addiction, or mental health challenges.
Key changes include the creation of multi-disciplinary family help teams, increased involvement of extended family members, and enhanced multi-agency child protection and safeguarding processes.
This effort aligns with the government’s "Stable Homes, Built on Love" strategy to improve children’s social care by prioritising early intervention and fostering safe, nurturing environments.
Find out more about Luton being chosen to test government’s social care transformation.
Our teams
Our vision
Putting children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do.
Our role
To support and safeguard children at risk of harm through a multidisciplinary approach that engages key professionals at the right time.
All 5 teams are based at:
(ul>2nd Floor Town Hall Extension
George Street
Luton LU1 2BQ
Level of support
The teams support children with needs who require intensive help and are in need of specialist support. Children and young people will access specialist services following a statutory assessment.
Roles in the teams
There are 5 Family Safeguarding teams covering the borough. Each team is made up of the following roles:
- team manager
- deputy team manager
- administrator
- social worker
- senior practitioner
Key contacts
Carol Pennington - Head of Service
[email protected]
Dananai Jiri - Team Manager
[email protected]
Caroline Hutchins - Team Manager
[email protected]
Rose Johnson - Team Manager
[email protected]
Our vision
Putting children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do.
Our role
The Children with Disabilities service offers a comprehensive service to children with significant learning disabilities, physical disabilities and life limiting health conditions. We do all facets of social work and can provide a comprehensive short break care package.
Location
Our team is based at:
- 2nd Floor Town Hall Extension
George Street
Luton LU1 2BQ
Level of support
The teams support children with needs who require intensive help and are in need of specialist support. Children and young people will access specialist services following a statutory assessment.
Roles in the MASH service
We have the benefit of staff from many disciplines working together, and with other agencies, to assess and intervene with families.
Disciplines within the service include:
- social workers
- London Road Resource Centre (our residential short breaks unit)
- Shared Care (short breaks service)
- children’s occupational therapy
Key contacts
All referrals to our service come in via our front door (MASH).
- Children with Disabilities team duty inbox - [email protected]
- Occupational Therapy team duty inbox - [email protected]
If you'd like to contact our service, please dial 01582 547465. You'll be redirected to the required service.
Our vision
Putting children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do.
Our role
Acts as a single front door for children in need of support or protection where partners work together to assess needs and risks, so that proportionate and timely decisions are made in respect of the most appropriate service to meet the needs of children and families.
Location
All 5 teams are based at:
- 1st Floor Town Hall Extension
George Street
Luton LU1 2BQ
Level of support
The teams support children with needs who require intensive help and are in need of specialist support. Children and young people will access specialist services following a statutory assessment.
Roles in the MASH service
- Team manager
- Deputy team managers
- Administrators
- Social workers
- Senior practitioners
- Domestic abuse workers
- Triage officers
- Education liaison worker
Key contacts
Diane Rushby - Head of Service
[email protected]
All emails to the MASH are through one centralised inbox: [email protected].
All calls to the MASH are through one centralised number which are then filtered through to the correct professional: 01582 547653.
Our vision
Putting children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do.
Our role
Working in partnership with other agencies across our criminal, social care and health partnerships, the aim of the Luton Youth Offending and Targeted Youth Service is to:
- prevent child criminal exploitation
- focus on the issues that see that children and young people disproportionately represented in the youth justice system
With a statutory aim to protect the public from harm and improve outcomes for victims of crime, we also give a voice to victims and encourage young people to provide reparation.
Location
Our team is based at:
- The Albany
4 Cardiff Road
Luton LU1 1PP
Roles in the service
Youth Offending serviceWe have the benefit of staff from many disciplines working together, and with other agencies, to assess and intervene with families.
Disciplines within the service include:
- youth justice officers
- probation officer
- education, training and employment specialists
- police
- restorative justice workers
- health workers specialising in:
- drugs and alcohol
- physical health
- mental health
- speech and language
- youth justice officers
- probation officer
- education, training and employment specialists
- police
- restorative justice workers
- health workers specialising in:
- drugs and alcohol
- physical health
- mental health
- speech and language
Key contacts
David Collins - Head of Service
[email protected]
Sam McKay – Operations Manager
[email protected]
Sam Berry - Operations Manager
[email protected]
Claire Dan – Operations Manager
[email protected]
Kim Murphy – Operations Manager
[email protected]
To speak to anyone in our service, please call 01582 547900 where you’ll then be transferred.
Our vision
Putting children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do.
Our role
To assess, support and safeguard children at risk of harm through a multi-disciplinary approach that engages family members and key professionals at the earliest point.
Location
Our teams are based at:
- 1st Floor Town Hall Extension
George Street
Luton LU1 2BQ
Level of support
Our service supports children with complex needs who require intensive help and are in need of specialist support. Children, young people and their families will access specialist interventions following a statutory assessment.
Roles in the teams
There are 5 Family Safeguarding teams covering the borough. Each team is made up of the following roles:
- team manager
- deputy team manager
- senior practitioner
- administrator
- social worker
- homelessness officer
Key contacts
Daniel Toth - Head of Service
[email protected]
- Assessment team 1 – 01582 547573
- Assessment team 2 – 01582 547773
- Assessment team 3 – 01582 547154
- Assessment team 4 – 01582 547098
Our vision
Putting children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do.
Our role
To achieve enhanced outcomes for LAC and care leavers through the delivery of a reshaped service, which incorporates the views of young people themselves.
Location
Our team is based at:
- Town Hall Extension
George Street
Luton LU1 2BQ
Level of support
The teams support children with needs who require intensive help and are in need of specialist support. Children and young people will access specialist services following a statutory assessment.
Roles in the Care Leavers team
- Team manager
- Deputy team managers
- Administrators
- Personal advisors
Roles in the 0 to 17 LAC teams
- Team managers
- Deputy team managers
- Administrators
- Social workers
- Senior practitioners
Key contacts
Care leaversLoretta Cook – [email protected]
LAC- LAC team 1 – Maryam Hussain – [email protected]
- LAC team 2 – Charmaine Morgan – [email protected]
Our vision
Putting children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do.
Our role
To provide placements which meet the assessed needs of LAC and underpin the achievement of strong outcomes for each and every young person.
Assessing prospective adoptive parents, supporting children waiting to be adopted and matching children with families.
Location
Our team is based at:
- 3rd Floor Town Hall Extension
George Street
Luton LU1 2BQ
Roles in the teams
Adoption- Team manager
- Social workers
- Post adoption contact
- Supervisor
- Administrator
- Personal advisor
- Team manager
- Deputy team managers
- Social workers
- Senior practitioners
- Marketing officer
- Recruitment officer
- SGO support officer
- Administrators
Key contacts
Teresa Gallagher, Head of Service
Teresa [email protected]
Adoption team
[email protected]
01582 547 804
Fostering team
[email protected]
01582 547 804
Our vision
To create a learning organisational culture where Social Workers are encouraged and supported to reach their full potential, to develop their practice through collaborative working, to be respectful and put relationships at the heart of everything they do, to inspire excellence and feel proud about their achievements.
Our role
To support our newly qualified social workers through their ASYE (assessed and supported year in employment). The Social Work Academy has key roles to support you as a newly qualified social worker to ensure that you gain the experience, skills and knowledge to continue to grow and develop in your social work career.
Location
Our team is based at:
- 2nd Floor Town Hall Extension
George Street
Luton LU1 2BQ
Level of support
As an ASYE, you will be working in one of our teams across the service to support children with needs who require intensive help and are in need of specialist support.
Roles in the teams
- Head of Social Work Academy
- Senior Practitioners
- Practice Educator
Key contacts
Sancha Thomas - Head of Service
[email protected]
Denise Wynter - Head of Social Work Academy
[email protected]
Recruitment schedule
The academy will recruit at two periods throughout the year – January and September. Please look out on our website during these times for our ASYE applications.
In the interim, if you have any questions or wish to discuss our offer of the Social Work Academy in Luton, please contact Sancha Thomas or Denise Wynter.
Ready to join Team Luton?
Find a job in children's social care
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