Meet the team: Keely Mitchell on championing child-centred leadership in the child safety and asylum team

Portsmouth’s identity as an island city creates a unique and meaningful context for social work, especially for those supporting children and young people seeking asylum.

In this leadership role, experienced practitioners are empowered to centre the voices of children, build trust through compassionate relationships, and drive positive, lasting change.

Social workers joining the team benefit from a £2,500 market supplement (paid over 12 months), relocation support of up to £8,000, and a revitalised health and wellbeing package designed to support both personal and professional resilience.

Keely Mitchell, head of adolescents and young people at Portsmouth City Council, shares her insights into this new team leader role, one rooted in reflective practice, relationship-building, and shared learning.

Can you tell us a bit about the child safety and asylum team and what makes it special within Portsmouth City Council?

CSAT is a small but perfectly formed team of dedicated social work practitioners who are passionate about working with children who are seeking safety and asylum in the UK.

These children have fled from their countries alone and have no one to provide care for them. It is a privilege for us to be able to do this in the absence of their parents.

What inspired you to work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and what continues to motivate you in this field?

The resilience and hope of the children inspires me daily. The trauma that they have experienced both in their own country due to war and genocide as well as on their journey is hard to comprehend, however their resilience is incredible. We can learn so much from them.

What qualities do you look for in someone joining your service as a team leader?

The team leader needs to be caring and nurturing and understand the nuances of supporting children from another culture. They need to be adept at advocating for children as well as being culturally competent.

They also need to be able to drive anti-racist practice and be able to challenge effectively when we feel that our children are not being treated equally.

How does the team ensure that the voice of the child is truly at the heart of its practice?

This is a particular strength of the team due to the strong advocacy and intent to ensure that each child is heard and treated equally and respectfully.

The child's voice is genuinely at the centre of our decision making and we are proud of this.

What kind of partnerships does the team maintain with external agencies and why are these important?

The team has excellent working relationships with UKBF in Portsmouth as well as our NTS (National Transfer Scheme) colleagues in Kent.

Our partnership with health and education has strengthened as has our relationship with Hampshire Police, specifically the Missing Exploited Trafficked (MET) team.

The team leader also shares themes and trends with colleagues from neighbouring local authorities which is important to be able to safeguard children effectively.

We maintain strong connections with the Sudanese community in Portsmouth and local mosques, and we are actively working to build relationships with other local communities.

How does the team approach trauma-informed and culturally sensitive practice?

The Trauma Informed Model of Care (TIMOC) underpins the work carried out by the social workers in our team. We collaborate closely with CAMHS and hold regular consultation sessions.

Through the valuable insights of our Living Experience Mentor Apprentice, who supports our Sudanese children, we have deepened our understanding of cultural differences and how to navigate them effectively.

These learnings have been shared through training sessions with UKBF, foster carers and other stakeholders.

What recent achievements or improvements are you most proud of within the team?

The team has gained a reputation for excellent practice and for being child centred and focused.

We have high expectations when it comes to caring for our children and are proud to be their voice especially with ensuring equality and fairness. We are driving anti racist practice, and our strength is in our relational practice and kindness.

I am also very proud of our Living Experience Mentor Apprentice who has supported the team with cultural knowledge and has been an excellent mentor and befriender to our Sudanese children. He also attends the port alongside a social worker which instantly helps to gain trust and reassurance at a very frightening time for our new children. The impact of this is immeasurable.

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for this role?

Don't hesitate in applying! Our children are a joy to work with and will inspire you every day. This is in addition to being part of a team which has dedication and a strong work ethic and desire to get things right for their children.

Our children make us smile every day and there is no doubt that we are the privileged ones being able to be in their lives for a short period of time.