Children's Senior Social Worker Family Safeguarding

Surrey County Council; Old Woking; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is seeking experienced Social Workers to join their Family Safeguarding service. The ideal candidate will have a qualified Social Work degree, be committed to relationship-based practice, and possess experience in child protection services. Offering a competitive salary between £52,884 and £56,175 annually, this role includes a relocation package, generous annual leave, employee assistance programs, and opportunities for professional development in a supportive environment, fostering an active and thriving social work culture.

Benefits

Relocation package up to £8,000

Paid Social Worker registration fee

28 days annual leave

Health and wellbeing support

Lifestyle discounts

Paid volunteering days

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Work degree and SWE Registration required.
• Car driver with a valid UK licence.
• ASYE completed within two years of qualifying.
• At least three years post qualified experience in UK social work.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments and manage cases for children in need.
• Collaborate with families and support workers to promote child safety.
• Engage in reflective supervision and professional development.

Skills

Child-focused practice

Relationship building

Team collaboration

Motivational interviewing

Education

Qualified Social Work degree

SWE Registration

Job description

We are proud of our recent Good Ofsted judgement, which marks a significant milestone for Surrey. The report highlights that our social workers are "skilled at building relationships with children who are subject of children in need or child protection plans. Creative direct work helps them to build a rounded understanding of children's daily lives." "They also build positive relationships with parents, enabling honest and sometimes difficult conversations." Overall "Staff are well‑trained and committed, feel highly valued and are proud to work in Surrey." You can read the full report HERE.

About our Family Safeguarding Service

Our Family Safeguarding service includes responsibility for our Family Safeguarding Model, Child In Need, as well as pre and court proceedings.

Within Family Safeguarding we use motivational interviewing, a multi‑agency approach under the Family Safeguarding model, where Social Workers, Family Support Workers, Domestic Abuse Practitioners, Recovery Workers, Mental Health Practitioners and Psychologists collaborate closely to address family issues efficiently, reducing the need for referrals to other agencies.

To help us achieve our ambitions for children and families we are looking for dedicated, compassionate practitioners who are child‑focused and committed to relationship‑based social work. If you are considering your next professional opportunity and looking to develop your skills and experience within child protection services we would love to enable you to do that safely with us.

We strive to provide a supportive and dynamic work environment for our employees that fosters growth, maintains work‑life balance, and rewards efforts. We guarantee 5 days of CPD and have access to excellent research and development tools such as Community Care Inform, Care Knowledge and Research In Practice.

Why Choose Surrey?

• Positive Team and Colleague Relationships – You'll have the opportunity to be part of a team that thrives on positive working relationships, where collaboration with supportive colleagues in your team, across the organisation and with key partners will enable and enrich your practice.
• Flexibility and Work‑Life Balance – We are committed to agile working and trust you to adapt your schedule to suit your needs, balancing this against the need to visit your children and families. It is our expectation that staff attend the office at least 2 days per week.
• Opportunities and Support for Professional Development – You can benefit from a structured environment that encourages growth and development. You'll have access to ongoing training opportunities via our Surrey Children' Service Academy, including our coaching and mentoring scheme, a well‑structured progression pathway, learning opportunities and reflective and task‑focused supervision.
• A Sense of Belonging and Familiarity – You'll be part of our welcoming and approachable social work family where you can draw on the knowledge of established team members to support your understanding of the local area and available resources, working for a team where your individual expertise are valued and where you can have fun together.
• A Focus on Wellbeing – We recognise that you are a valuable asset and key to unlocking the positive changes we aspire for with our children and families. The job you do is serious, therefore we take your well‑being seriously and recognise the need for reflective supervision where wellbeing is front and centre of the conversation.

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short virtual call to explore your answers to the application questions (lasting approx. 15‑20 mins). If successful, following this you will be invited for an in‑person interview, allowing you to meet the team, check out your potential office and get a feel for what your journey might look like.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment. That's why, if you're invited to a face‑to‑face interview, we'll share the themes of the questions with you in advance. This way, you can prepare and feel comfortable, allowing you to confidently discuss your skills and experiences.

Contact Us

Our friendly teams could talk your socks off when it comes to all things Social Work, so if you'd like to talk to us please just drop a quick message to and we'll get a call arranged. We look forward to hearing from you!

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children and Adults Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two‑tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Work degree and SWE Registration
• Car driver with a valid UK licence
• ASYE completed, within two years of qualifying
• UK social work experience
• At least three years post‑qualified experience

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and Social Workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

The salary range for Senior Social Workers is £52,884 – £56,175 per annum. This is inclusive of a market supplement of £5,000. We also offer a financial package of up to £6,000 which is payable in three instalments across your first 18 months in post.

Our Offer to You

• A competitive relocation package of up to £8,000
• We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service (plus bank holidays)
• Access to our car lease scheme
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• Refer a friend payment of £1,000 as a thank you for finding the right Social Worker

About Surrey

Our Surrey Children' Services are actively working towards becoming a high‑performing local authority, evidenced by the fact we are now starting to realise the positive impacts of the Family Safeguarding practice model in action with reductions in the number of children subject to child protection plans. We are working hard to sustain and develop our progress and this is driven by the efforts of every member of our social care workforce from our business support and family support workers to our frontline practitioners through to leadership – all working together to create and sustain the right conditions for a positive culture and well‑supported workforce equipped to deliver consistent and good quality social work practice for our children and families.

Our Progress

Our Surrey Children' Services are actively working towards becoming a high‑performing local authority, evidenced by the fact we are now starting to realise the positive impacts of the Family Safeguarding practice model in action with reductions in the number of children subject to child protection plans. We are working hard to sustain and develop our progress and this is driven by the efforts of every member of our social care workforce from our business support and family support workers to our frontline practitioners through to leadership – all working together to create and sustain the right conditions for a positive culture and well‑supported workforce equipped to deliver consistent and good quality social work practice for our children and families.