Children's Social Worker

Cafcass Organisation; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Paid Leave

LGPS pension

True hybrid & flexible working

Professional fees reimbursed

Lifestyle discounts

Car leasing

Job summary

Cafcass Organisation is recruiting Children’s Social Workers (Family Court Advisers) to advocate for children in private and public law proceedings. You will complete assessments, apply risk assessment and mediation skills, and work with authorities to secure better outcomes for children.

Flexible settings across offices, home, courts and schools with strong supervision and support. Closing date 23 November 2026; applicants should have Social Work England registration and Right to Work in the UK.

Qualifications

• Essential Social Work qualification.
• Right to Work in the UK (we do not sponsor).
• Registered with Social Work England (or able to register quickly).
• Recent, relevant experience with children and families.
• Desirable: experience in family court proceedings or Private/Public Law knowledge.
• Pre-qualifying experience may be beneficial for limited post-qualifying experience.

Responsibilities

• Complete high-quality assessments engaging directly with children and represent their views to the family court.
• Apply expertise in risk assessment, analysis and mediation to place the child’s safety and welfare first.
• Collaborate with adults, local authorities and professionals to resolve complex issues and improve outcomes for children.

Skills

Risk assessment

Mediation

Analytical thinking

Communication with children

Professional resilience

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

We are excited to offer a Professional Joining Incentive of £4,000for those who join one of our teams in this area.You can find out further information about this payment prior to applying for the role - check vacancy documents.

At Cafcass, we’re recruiting Children’s Social Workers who share our passion, commitment and ambition to facilitate positive outcomes for children involved in private and public law family court proceedings.

Our Social Workers - professionally known as Family Court Advisers (FCAs) - play a vital role. You might work within Private Law team, where there is disagreement on the bestarrangements for the welfare of the child(ren)involved), a Public Law team, where local authorities have raised serious welfare concerns, or a converged team covering both law types.

Whatever the team you join, the underlying role is the same – to speak on behalf of children and young people to ensure their thoughts, wishes and feelings are not just understood but heard.

As the only organisation that does this kind of work, FCAs can make recommendations leading to lasting change for children and families, which is why this it is responsibility we take seriously. And why we’re committed to creating a safe, healthy and supportive environment for our colleagues to practice.

What you’ll be doing

As a FCA at Cafcass, you will:

• Complete high-quality assessments, engaging directly with children to understand their experiences, wishes and feelings — and ensure these are clearly and powerfully represented to the family court.
• Apply your expertise in risk assessment, analysis and mediation, advocating for solutions that place the child’s safety, wellbeing and long-term interests at the centre of decision-making.
• Work with adults, local authorities, and a wide range of professionals to help resolve complex issues and influence better outcomes for children.

Who we’re looking for:

We’re looking for practitioners who are confident, curious, compassionate and committed to excellent social work practice.

To join us, you’ll need:

• A Social Work qualification is essential.
• Have the Right to Work in the UK (we don’t sponsor people to work in the UK).
• Registered with Social Work England (or likely to be able to register quickly if practising outside England).
• Recent, relevant experience of working directly with children and families.
• It’s desirable you’ll have experience in family court proceedings, or knowledge of Private and/or Public Law.
• For applicants with limited post‑qualifying experience, relevant pre‑qualifying experience supporting children and families may be beneficial.
• Strong organisational skills, professional resilience and the ability to work independently while effectively managing a varied caseload.

You can view the full job description in the vacancy documents.

Where you’ll work

Our Social Workers work flexibly across multiple settings — including the office in Stevenage, home, courts, schools and other appropriate, safe locations, and we ensure you have the technology to do this.

Shared learning is very important to us, and we bring our teams together regularly, both remotely and in-person, for team meetings and group supervision, which creates space to connect with peers and managers, reflect on practice, and feel supported.

You’ll also have regular 1:1 time with your manager, especially during your induction, and again there will be a balance between doing this remotely and in-person, so you have opportunities to form in-person connections.

If shortlisted, the hiring manager will be able to give you more insight into what a typical week or month might look like should you join us.

Why work for Cafcass?

As the largest employer of Children’s Social Workers in England, we’re uniquely placed to support your professional growth and wellbeing.

At Cafcass, We offer:

• Generous Paid Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (including 3 days for Christmas shutdown), rising to 33 days after 5 years of continuous service, with the unique option to sell back unused days or transfer continuous service from your current employer.
• Excellent Defined-Benefit Pension: Benefit from a highly competitive 13.7% employer contribution via the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), allowing you to seamlessly build upon your existing pension pot.
• True Hybrid & Flexible Working: Achieve an optimal work-life balance with autonomy to work from both home and the office, plus open accommodation for flexible setups like 9-day fortnights.
• Professional Fees Fully Reimbursed: Keep more of your hard-earned salary with your annual Social Work England membership fees fully covered directly by us.
• Exclusive Lifestyle Discounts: Access significant savings with a wide range of top brands covering supermarkets, fashion, travel, personal finance, and tech.
• Competitive Car Leasing: Drive away in a brand-new vehicle at highly competitive, affordable rates through our specialized third-party personal car leasing scheme.
• Opportunities to contribute to nationally significant reform in family justice
• Strong professional supervision and reflective practice

You can find more about how we support our practitioners on our website, and we’ll share more during the selection process.

Next steps / Timelines

Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

Closing date:23 November 2026

Telephoneinterviews:We'll offer dates / times as close to when you apply as we can.

Final Interview:Once you’ve have had your telephone interview, we’d hope to be able to offer dates / times quite quickly.

If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact [e-mail].

Successful applicants will undergo various pre-engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In line with theDBS code of practiceand our policy, if a criminal offence is declared, an individual assessment will be conducted. For further details regarding this assessment, please refer to theCafcass DBS policy.