Children's Social Workers - Level 2/3 - PLO and Court Team

BCP Council; Hurn; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in the UK is seeking experienced Children's Social Workers to join its PLO and Court Team. This role involves supporting families through legal processes, focusing on safeguarding children's welfare. Ideal candidates will have experience mentoring less experienced staff, strong risk analysis skills, and a commitment to professional development. The position offers flexible working arrangements, clear career progression, and a competitive salary within a supportive environment.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Access to Local Government Pension Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Relocation Scheme

Clear career progression opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience mentoring new or newly qualified staff and students.
• Working to the DfE Knowledge and Skills statements for child and family practitioners.
• Significant frontline safeguarding experience.

Responsibilities

• Support families through the PLO process and court proceedings.
• Work collaboratively within the PLO and Court Team.
• Conduct high-quality risk assessment and decision-making.

Skills

Mentoring frontline social workers

High-quality risk analysis

Strong presentation skills

Conflict resolution skills

Commitment to professional development

Education

Post-qualifying award (e.g., Practice Education)

Job description

Overview

Children's Social Workers - Level 2/3 - PLO and Court Team

BCP Council is recruiting for Level 2/3 social workers to join the PLO and Court Team within Children’s Services. This role supports families through the PLO process and court proceedings, focusing on safeguarding and permanency for children and young people.

Salary and pay

Current salary: BCP Band I (SCP 28-31) £39,152 - £41,771 per annum pro rata, plus £4,234 per annum; Band J (SCP 32-35) £42,839 - £46,142 per annum, plus £5,719 contractual supplement per annum.

From 1 December 2025, refreshed Pay and Reward package applies. The salary for this role (Level 2 – 3) will be £42,839 – £53,460 (pro rata for part-time colleagues) from 1 December 2025 and pay protection will not apply.

Current Recruitment & Retention Supplements: Level 2 £4,234 per annum (pro rata for part-time). From 1 December, the supplement for this role may be up to £1,331 per annum (pro rata for part-time).

Current Recruitment & Retention Supplement for Level 3: £5,719 per annum (pro rata for part-time). From 1 December, the supplement for this role may be up to £3,249 per annum (pro rata for part-time).

Recruitment and Retention Supplements are in addition to base salary. They are temporary and awarded solely at the discretion of BCP Council, in accordance with the Interim Salary Supplement policy, which will be replaced by the new Pay and Allowances policy on 1 December 2025.

For more about the new terms and conditions, see the Careers site brochure More than just a job.

About the team and role

BCP Council Children’s Services have two specialist PLO and Court Teams, comprising 1 Team Manager, 1 Assistant Team Manager, 7 social workers, and 1 Family Practitioner. The teams are co-located with other Children’s services teams at the Civic Centre Bournemouth and work flexibly across the BCP area.

Families are presented at Legal Gateway panel to consider if the threshold for pre-proceedings is met and to devise a plan of support. If threshold is met, families attend a formal PLO meeting with legal representation, after which the PLO and Court Team begin working with the family. The team supports children and families with issues such as domestic abuse, adult mental health and substance misuse, including the Parental Substance Misuse Court (PSMC). The aim is to address needs early to reduce the likelihood of care proceedings.

The focus is on securing child permanency and exploring wider family support to reduce risk. For permanency outside the home, handovers may occur to the children in care team or the Aspire adoption team.

We are committed to providing a supportive environment and opportunities to make a real difference for children’s lives.

What we are looking for

Are you passionate about making a real difference in children’s lives? We welcome applicants with dedication and resilience.

About BCP Council: we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and to providing excellent care to children and families. We are proud of our Ofsted Good rating (Dec 2024).

If you are an experienced Social Worker, we want to hear from you. You should be reflective, proactive and resilient, with a commitment to making a difference and ensuring children’s voices are central.

Requirements for this role

• Have experience mentoring frontline social workers, including new or newly qualified staff and social work students on placement.

• Have a post-qualifying award (e.g., Practice Education) or be willing to undertake Practice Education training.

• Be working to the DfE Knowledge and Skills statements for child and family practitioners.

• Be able to work with very complex referrals and casework; demonstrated high-quality risk analysis and decision making.

• Have strong and confident presentation skills and conflict resolution skills.

• Have a commitment to continuous professional development and to building professional networks to support outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

What we will require you to do

• Be able to travel across the full Council area in a timely manner.

• Have significant frontline safeguarding experience.

What we can offer

• Full induction with a supportive Practice Fundamentals offer.

• Clear career progression and learning opportunities.

• Manageable and diverse caseloads.

• Regular supervision.

• 25 days annual leave (pro rata for those without continuous service) plus bank holidays.

• Competitive salary with access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

• Flexible working arrangements with access to local offices.

• Employee Assistance Programme.

• Relocation Scheme and staff network groups.

Contacts and further information

For an informal discussion contact Vanessa Johns, Service Manager for Children and Families First and PLO&Court at [e-mail]

BCP Partnership Academy – BCP Partnership Academy

Additional information

DBS: BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and requires all staff to undertake the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. See the Job Description or Role Profile for details.

Attached documents: Social Worker JD and PS BCP.pdf