Social work teams and locations

Our social workers help children and families across East Sussex (excluding Brighton & Hove).

We’re based in four offices located in Eastbourne, Hailsham, Hastings and Lewes.

About our teams

Four of our teams carry out work across the whole county:

  • Single Point of Advice (SPoA)
  • Through Care Team
  • Fostering
  • Adoption and Permanence
  • Children’s Disability Service

Social workers in other teams cover specific areas of the county:

  • Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
  • Duty and Assessment Teams
  • Family and Youth Support
  • Looked After Children

If you join the SPoA or MASH teams your work will be office-based rather than travelling around.

Single Point of Advice team (SPoA)

The Single Point of Advice team (SPoA) is the first point of contact for East Sussex Children’s Services and is staffed by social workers and early help workers. Our team provides advice to professionals and the public who have concerns about the welfare of a child. Read more about working in the Single Point of Advice.

We’re an office-based team in Eastbourne. Our work is countywide, covering all of East Sussex.

I really value the experience I'm gaining in SPoA and recommend it to other practitioners who want to gain a better work-life balance while developing their practice skills.

Jemma


Multi-Agency Sharing Hub (MASH)

The Multi-Agency Sharing Hub is a team of social workers, health visitors, and police officers who share and assess information about children and adults at risk of coming to harm. Together we ensure the most timely, appropriate and proportionate response.

MASH also provides enhanced multi-agency information sharing and decision-making practice for missing children and children vulnerable to exploitation.

We have two teams carrying out office-based work. Our Eastbourne team covers the west of the county, while our Hastings team covers the east of the county.

Duty and Assessment Teams (DAT)

The children’s social workers in our duty and assessment teams carry out:

  • family assessments
  • Section 47 enquiries
  • private fostering assessments
  • assessment of homeless young people.

The teams work with children and young people 0 to 19 years old. The work is short term. If families and children require longer term intervention, they are transferred to our Family Support and Youth Support teams.

  • Eastbourne office – covers the area west of Bexhill to Newhaven, and up to Hailsham
  • Hastings office – covers the area from Bexhill to Rye
  • Lewes office – covers the far west of the county and the Weald.

Family and Youth Support teams

Responsibility for longer term social work support to families is transferred to Family and Youth Support Teams from the Duty and Assessment Teams.

Family Support Teams tend to work with children and families where the primary concern is about the care and experience of children under 13 years old. Youth Support Teams have specialisms working with adolescents. The teams are responsible for:

  • ongoing assessment, care planning and support to children and families requiring child in need or child protection plans
  • undertaking most of the pre-proceedings and care proceedings work in the local authority
  • assessment and support for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.

Our Family Support Teams are based in Hastings, Eastbourne and Lewes.

  • Eastbourne office – covers Eastbourne and surrounding areas on the coast, and up to Hailsham.
  • Hastings office – covers Bexhill to St Leonards, Hastings, and Rother including Battle and Rye.
  • Lewes office – covers Lewes and the west of the county, as well as Wealden.

Our Youth Support Teams are based in Hastings and Lewes. The Hastings office covers the east of the county, while the Lewes office covers the west of the county.

Looked After Children teams

There are three Looked After Children teams. As a member of these teams, you’ll carry out statutory functions related to looked after children when a care plan says a permanent placement should be sought outside the birth family. Read more about working with looked after children.

Our Looked After Children teams are based in Hailsham, Hastings and Lewes.

  • Hailsham office – covers the area from Eastbourne and Hailsham.
  • Hastings office – covers the east of the county.
  • Lewes office – covers Lewes district and the Weald.

Children’s Disability Service

The Children’s Disability Service (CDS) is a countywide specialist team of social workers who work with children aged 0 to 19 with severe learning disabilities and complex health needs. Our responsibilities include:

  • providing information, advice, guidance and signposting
  • family assessments
  • Section 47 enquiries
  • joint continuing care assessments
  • carers’ assessments
  • social care personal budget support plans.

We are made up of two teams – CDS Duty and Assessment Team (DAT) and CDS Family Support and Looked After (FST/LAC). We work closely together at our offices in Eastbourne.

Through Care team

The Through Care Service is responsible for supporting young people across the county while they prepare to leave care and after they leave. The service includes:

  • social workers
  • personal advisors
  • mental health nurse
  • Virtual School for children in care.

Our office is in Eastbourne. We carry out work across the whole county.

Fostering team

The Fostering Service is responsible for the recruitment, preparation, assessment, supervision and support of foster carers. We are made up of five functional teams:

  • ART - assessment and recruitment team of prospective foster carers
  • Duty - matching of placement
  • Supervision - supervision and support of all foster carers
  • Supported lodgings - recruitment, assessment,  supervision and support of supported lodgings providers
  • Placement support - 1-1 and group activities to support carers and children

Our service has been judged as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted following the last two inspections. Read more about the fostering work we do.

Our office is in Eastbourne. We carry out work across the whole county.

Adoption and Permanence team

The Adoption and Permanence Team is responsible for:

  • recruitment, preparation and assessment of prospective adopters
  • family finding
  • linking and matching of children
  • assessment and provision of post-adoption support for children and adopted adults.

The most recent Ofsted Inspection judged our service as ‘Outstanding’. Read more about the adoption work we do.

Our office is in Eastbourne. We carry out work across the whole county.

Relocation costs and travel benefits

Our benefits package includes options for relocation and travel costs for eligible people – see what’s available in staff benefits for social workers.

Looking for a new job?

If you’re looking for a new job to progress your career in social work:

Social work roles and vacancies