DORSET Council is advertising a senior social services post – paying between £95,500 and £123,000 - one of more than 100 vacancies it current has!

The position is for a new corporate director, care and protection, in children's services.

The role was previously held by Paul Dempsey, who has just become executive director of children's services, replacing Theresa Leavy who has left the authority where she led the service since 2019.

A job advert from the council says it is seeking "an inspirational leader" pivotal role," where the post-holder will " lead and shape Dorset's Children's Care and Protection Service, driving innovation and ensuring that all services meet the needs of children, young people, and families….To excel in this role, you will be a visionary and experienced senior leader with a strong background in children's social care and protection. You will have extensive experience of managing complex safeguarding services, as well as a deep understanding of SEND and and multi-agency collaboration."

Applications close on October 17th although it is unlikely that anyone will be in post before the New Year.

The council is currently advertising more than a hundred positions, many of them within children's social services.

Among the current jobs on offer are part-time posts paying £8,000 a year to a service manager position at up to £62,500 a year.

Included in the school jobs are a meal-time supervisor at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester; a part-time receptionist at the Ferndown Upper School; various positions for teaching assistants, paying around £16,000 a year.

Other school-related positions include a passenger assistant, with jobs based at Bridport, Weymouth, Poole and Gillingham working 17 hours part-time during term time and paying up to £8,800

Other posts include a Weymouth-based case worker for children and young people with Special Educational Needs, paying between £26,400 and £30,300, according to experience; with up to £62,600 available for a service manager, also based in Weymouth, leading a team working with children and families in the Chesil Partnership.

Experience working with children and families is also required for a social worker post at Wareham paying between £41,400 and £47,400 as part of the Dorset Council's 'Front Door' team, which is involved with child safety. The post involves four-day a week working, although over more than nine hours a day, with occasional on-call duties, with the working week split between home-working and from the office.

Several social work posts are also available, in a range of teams, starting at £30,300 for a social work trainee and up to £44,400 for a child protection social worker.

In the council's Highways team there are vacancies for a bridges and structures engineer, up to £52,400 and a project team leader on the same grade.