Jackie Comber
Leicester,Leicestershire
Summary
Experienced children's social worker with a proven track record at Leicester City Council, adept at engaging with children and families to promote welfare and safety. Demonstrates strong skills in teamwork, community outreach, and adaptable communication, effectively managing caseloads and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. Successfully developed tailored support plans and facilitated training sessions to enhance child protection efforts. Previous roles include Community Engagement Officer and Sure Start Centre Manager, where expertise in relationship-building, report writing, and budget management was utilised to drive community programmes and centre operations. Committed to continuous professional development and advocating for children's rights, with career goals focused on advancing child welfare initiatives.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Children’s social worker
Leicester City Council
Leicester, Leicestershire
09.2016 - 08.2024
- Engaged children with age-appropriate methods to build trust and understand perspectives, fostering open communication.
- Collaborated with families to develop tailored support plans, promoting child welfare and safety.
- Managed caseloads effectively, prioritising urgent cases to respond to children in immediate danger.
- Collaborated with families to identify areas for improvement, ensuring positive outcomes for children through tailored support.
- Liaised with multidisciplinary teams, including education and health professionals, to coordinate child protection efforts.
- Advocated for the rights and best interests of children during decision-making processes and legal interventions.
- Participated in continuous professional development activities to stay updated on child protection practices and legislation.
- Utilised therapeutic techniques to help children process trauma and build resilience.
- Facilitated training sessions for parents and carers on child safety and protection strategies.
- Maintained comprehensive case records and produced detailed reports to document observations, diagnoses, and action plans.
Community Engagement Officer
Leicester City Council
Leicester, Leicestershire
09.2014 - 09.2016
- Developed and implemented community outreach programmes to address local social issues effectively.
- Referred clients to community resources, enhancing support for housing, transport, and childcare needs.
- Organised direct and outside referrals, providing critical assistance to clients in ongoing or crisis situations.
- Developed prevention and intervention programmes with community-specific approach.
- Developed team communications and information for meetings.
- Created community programmes, including Sure Start parent/child sessions, in collaboration with local community to promote effective parenting strategies and optimal child development.
Sure Start Centre Manager
Leicester City Council
Leicester, Leicestershire
05.2007 - 09.2014
- Oversaw daily operations to align with centre vision and maintain best practices and quality standards.
- Managed daily operations of the centre, overseeing staff performance and facility maintenance for optimal functioning.
- Managed and trained staff to meet centre objectives and complete projects and tasks.
- Conducted regular performance evaluations of staff, providing constructive feedback and setting development goals.
- Managed budgets effectively, allocating resources wisely to support key operational activities.
- Monitored costs and expenditures to manage operating budget, practising economical measures.
- Reviewed and updated centre policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
- Coordinated with external contractors to facilitate timely repairs and maintenance, minimising operational disruptions.
- Facilitated team meetings, encouraging open communication and collaborative problem-solving among staff.
- Organised events and activities to network with peers and develop long-term professional relationships.
- Established strong relationships with stakeholders, ensuring their needs and expectations were consistently met.
- Addressed customer complaints with professionalism, resolving issues promptly to maintain high satisfaction levels.
- Produced and submitted financial statements to compare past reports and examine revenue.
Education
NPQICL - National professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership
University of Warwickshire
01-2011
Master of Arts - Social Work
University of Leicester
Leicester 01-2004
Bachelor of Science - Social Psychology
Loughborough University
Loughborough01-2001
Skills
- Report writing
- Community outreach
- Risk Assessment
- Time management
- Adaptive communication
- Effective communication
- Written and verbal communication
- Active listening
- Teamwork
- Relationship-building
Timeline
Children’s social worker
Leicester City Council
09.2016 - 08.2024
Community Engagement Officer
Leicester City Council
09.2014 - 09.2016
Sure Start Centre Manager
Leicester City Council
05.2007 - 09.2014
NPQICL - National professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership
University of Warwickshire
Master of Arts - Social Work
University of Leicester
Bachelor of Science - Social Psychology
Loughborough University