Locality Social Worker - Children's Services

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market premium £2,750 p.a.

Golden Hello £2,125 after probation

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council is recruiting a Social Worker for Children's Services to deliver statutory and targeted early help. You will hold cases and work with families, carers and professionals to develop protection and care plans that meet assessed needs.

The role emphasizes direct work with children, safeguarding, and collaborative practice within Locality Hubs, with a strong focus on wellbeing, supervision, and career development.

Qualifications

• Recognition of a social work qualification and active Social Work England registration.
• Demonstrated experience in direct work with vulnerable children and young people.
• Experience working with parents, carers and multi-disciplinary professionals.

Responsibilities

• Undertaking statutory social work assessments.
• Establishing rapport with children and young people.
• Monitoring and reviewing the impact of protection and care plans.
• Maintaining records and documentation.

Skills

Empathy

Patience

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Social work qualification

Tools

Case management systems

Job description

Overview

Are you passionate about improving the lives of children and young people? Do you want to work for an employer who places major importance on high quality supervision, wellbeing and career development? At Buckinghamshire Council we have an opportunity for a high calibre experienced Social Worker to join one of our newly created Locality Hubs. As a children's social worker, you'll have the incredible opportunity to shape futures and create lasting positive memories. Your role will be more than a job, it'll be a chance to be a friend, mentor and advocate. You'll work closely with children, families, schools, and other professionals to ensure that every child's unique needs are met. Your empathy, patience and dedication will be the driving force behind meaningful change in their lives.

Overview

Are you passionate about improving the lives of children and young people? Do you want to work for an employer who places major importance on high quality supervision, wellbeing and career development? At Buckinghamshire Council we have an opportunity for a high calibre experienced Social Worker to join one of our newly created Locality Hubs. As a children's social worker, you'll have the incredible opportunity to shape futures and create lasting positive memories. Your role will be more than a job, it'll be a chance to be a friend, mentor and advocate. You'll work closely with children, families, schools, and other professionals to ensure that every child's unique needs are met. Your empathy, patience and dedication will be the driving force behind meaningful change in their lives.

In addition to the salary advertised, you will receive a market premium of £2,750 per annum.

We also offer a Golden Hello payment of £2,125 after one years service (for external candidates only).

Take a look at our Childrens Social Care Candidate Pack to learn more about working in Children's Services at Buckinghamshire Council.

About Us

Locality teams deliver statutory and targeted early help services to children and young people in need of support, protection and care.

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

About The Role

As a Social Worker in Children's Services, you will deliver statutory and targeted early help services to children and young people in need of support, protection, and care. You will have case holding responsibility and work collaboratively with parents, carers, and multi-disciplinary professionals to develop support, protection, and care plans to meet the assessed needs of children and young people.

Some of your day-to-day tasks will include

• Undertaking statutory social work assessments
• Establishing a rapport and building a relationship with children and young people
• Monitoring and reviewing the impact of support, protection, and care plans
• Maintaining all necessary records and documentation

For more information on the role, please refer to the job description.

About You

We are looking for a dedicated and compassionate individual with a recognised social work qualification and active Social Work England registration. You should have demonstrable experience in direct work with vulnerable children and young people, as well as experience working in partnership with parents, carers, and multi-disciplinary professionals. You should also have a working knowledge of relevant legislative, procedural, and theoretical frameworks for working with children and families.

For more information on the criteria, please refer to the job description.

Closing date

Midnight on Sunday 11th October 2026.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled 'Exceptions Order').

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that's why we're working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it's important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That's why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements.

We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants and shops, a generous employer pension contribution in line with the Local Government Pension Scheme, discounts on gym memberships and more - https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/

Social Workers are also entitled to a generous enhanced reward package, as follows:

• Competitive salary with a market increment
• A 'Golden Hello' lump sum payment upon successful completion of probation
• Annual leave up to 30 days per year, as well as other types of leave and the opportunity to buy further leave
• Up to 15 days per year training, learning and development offer
• Free parking across all of our office sites

If you are interested in relocating to Buckinghamshire and working with us, relocation packages are also available.