Personal Advisor

About the role

This is an exciting time in Dorset Council as we are investing in and strengthening the service to Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children brought in to the care of the Council and supported through to young adulthood. We have a team of Social Workers and Personal Advisers supporting our children and care-experienced young people who are seeking asylum.

An exciting secondment opportunity has arisen for a Personal Advisor role in the team. This is a position of 37 hours per week for a secondment period of 1 year. PAs will support young people aged between 16 and 25 years going through the asylum process. You will deliver the full range of statutory responsibilities through the Leaving Care Act 2000.

This involves providing young people with advice and guidance. You will be working collaboratively with all partners to identify and meet individual’s needs, assisting young people to participate in pathway planning to ensure that their plans properly reflect their individual strengths, aspirations and needs. You will be working in young people’s homes, their communities, in Council offices and you will have the option to do some work from home.

In this team, there will be liaison with solicitors, and the Home Office and travel may be required throughout the UK. You will have: Experience of providing high-quality services to children, young people and families or others with multiple vulnerabilities. Used to working in a fast-paced environment and able to adapt to changing situations and respond appropriately.

An effective communicator and be creative in your work to produce innovative solutions. Have knowledge and understanding of the relevant legislation and guidance and the issues affecting young people leaving care. To be self-motivated and able to work on your own and as part of a team. To be able to use IT to support accurate case recording and management information, as required by service standards.

This post involves working with children or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them and will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Please refer to our policy on the employment of ex-offenders for further information. Further Information Interview dates will be held in late November/ early December 2026 and will be located at County Hall in Dorchester, Dorset.

If you would like to have an informal discussion for more information about the team and the job role then please contact the team manager

• Henrietta Marchant on 01305 228219 or email [email protected]. This post requires significant travel. This post has a significant travel requirement, both locally and nationally, and you are contractually required to have a vehicle (or transport deemed to be suitable by the council) available for use as required. Posts requiring DBS clearance This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders. All posts requiring a safeguarding policy See our policy on safeguarding children and young people. See our adult safeguarding policy.

About Us

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video: At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future. We: provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents work in partnership to make a real difference value every role and the impact it has on our communities support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive You will: be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset have access to a range of benefits and support receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.