Children's Advanced Social Worker

Surrey County Council; Pulborough; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is seeking a qualified social worker for their Family Safeguarding Service. The role involves mentoring less experienced staff, managing child protection cases, and applying a child-focused approach. Candidates should have a social work degree, SWE registration, and significant UK experience. The position offers competitive salary and benefits, and promotes a supportive work environment emphasizing work-life balance.

Benefits

Salary range £52,884 – £56,175

Financial package up to £6,000

Relocation package up to £8,000

Paid registration fee

28 days annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Lifestyle discounts

Five days CPD per annum

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Work degree and SWE registration.
• Valid UK driving licence and ability to drive a car.
• ASYE completed within two years of qualifying.
• Three years post-qualified UK social work experience.
• Child-focused, relationship-based social work approach.
• Strong communication, teamwork and multi-agency working skills.

Responsibilities

• Mentor and support less experienced social workers.
• Hold a reduced caseload for effective support.
• Deliver family safeguarding services managing child cases.
• Apply motivational interviewing and collaboration.
• Build trusting relationships with children and families.
• Contribute to the improvement of practice standards.

Skills

Child-focused approach

Strong communication skills

Teamwork

Multi-agency working skills

Education

Qualified Social Work degree

SWE registration

ASYE completed within two years

Three years post-qualified experience

Job description

Overview

Surrey Children’s Services is proud of its recent Good Ofsted judgement, recognising the quality of its social work practice and the commitment of its staff. Our team consistently builds relationships with children who are the subject of child protection plans and supports families through complex situations.

The Family Safeguarding Service delivers the Family Safeguarding Model, Child in Need, and pre‑ and court‑proceeding work. A multi‑agency, motivational interviewing approach is used, bringing together social workers, support workers, domestic abuse practitioners, recovery workers, mental health practitioners and psychologists to address family issues efficiently.

Responsibilities

• Mentor and support less experienced social workers, fostering their professional development.
• Hold a reduced caseload to enable effective support and, when required, deputise for the Team Manager.
• Deliver family safeguarding services, including managing child in need cases, pre‑ and court‑proceedings.
• Apply motivational interviewing and multi‑agency collaboration to reduce referrals to other agencies.
• Build trusting, relationship‑based practice with children, parents and other professionals.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the Family Safeguarding Model and practice standards.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Work degree and SWE registration.
• Valid UK driving licence and ability to drive a car.
• ASYE completed within two years of qualifying.
• Three years post‑qualified UK social work experience.
• Child‑focused, relationship‑based social work approach, with a commitment to safeguarding and safeguarding practice.
• Strong communication, teamwork and multi‑agency working skills.

Benefits

• Salary range £52,884 – £56,175 per annum, inclusive of a £5,000 market supplement.
• Up to £6,000 financial package payable in three instalments across the first 18 months.
• Competitive relocation package of up to £8,000.
• Social Worker England registration fee paid by the employer.
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years of service (plus bank holidays).
• Car lease scheme and option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave.
• Extensive Employee Assistance Programme and generous local government pension.
• Lifestyle discounts (gym, travel, shopping) and two paid volunteering days per year.
• Up to five days carer leave per year and paid paternity, adoption and dependent leave.
• Refer‑a‑friend payment of £1,000.
• Five days of CPD per annum and access to training via the Surrey Children’s Service Academy.

Professional Development

We guarantee five days of CPD each year and provide access to research and development tools such as Community Care Inform, Care Knowledge, and Research In Practice. Structured training opportunities, coaching, mentoring and reflective supervision are integral to supporting your growth.

Work Environment

We offer a supportive and dynamic workplace that values work‑life balance. Flexibility and agile working are encouraged, with the expectation that staff attend the office at least two days per week.

Inclusive Recruitment and Commitment

Our recruitment process is inclusive. Shortlisted candidates will receive a virtual call to discuss application responses, followed by an in‑person interview if successful. We provide themes of interview questions in advance to allow preparation. Enhanced DBS checks are required for the role. We are a disability‑confident employer and guarantee an interview if the disability criteria are met.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is transitioning to new unitary councils in April 2027. Employees on 1 April 2027 will transfer to the new organisations, retaining current terms and conditions.

Our Progress

We are working toward becoming a high‑performing local authority, recognising that the Family Safeguarding practice model is delivering measurable improvements, including a reduction in children on protection plans. This progress is driven by our entire workforce working together to create a positive culture and support high‑quality social work practice.