Newly Qualified Social Worker

Leicestershire County Council; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ASYE programme

Mentor supervision

CPD days

Career development

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is recruiting Newly Qualified Social Workers for its ASYE Programme across multiple service areas. You will be supported by an ASYE Co-ordinator, with reduced caseloads and regular supervision to develop your practice.

This role offers a clear pathway to registration with Social Work England and ongoing professional development within a trauma-informed, collaborative team.

Qualifications

• Hold a Social Work degree and be registered with Social Work England or expect registration on qualifying.
• Full UK driving licence (or be able to convert) and access to a vehicle.
• Experience working with children and families with knowledge of childcare legislation and safeguarding procedures.
• Be aware of diverse backgrounds and apply inclusive practice in your work.
• Strong assessment, prioritisation and IT literacy demonstrated in practice.

Responsibilities

• Work across service areas to support families with complex needs.
• Collaborate with teams and partner agencies to deliver timely interventions.
• Receive regular supervision and participate in learning and development activities.

Skills

Strong assessment skills

Prioritisation skills

IT proficiency

Cultural awareness

Education

Social Work degree

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Database applications

Job description

We value and support our Newly Qualified Social Workers. We believe the foundations of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) are paramount to building confident Social Workers and so we are really proud of our ASYE Program and the support we offer to Newly Qualified Social Workers in helping them develop and advance their careers with us. As a Newly Qualified Social Worker on our ASYE Program, you will receive:

For further information about our ASYE Program, including helpful videos and testimonials, please visit our website . We currently have vacancies across various service areas, which will be discussed with you at interview. An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post. For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our ., Due to the nature of this role, you must be able to work outside normal office hours e.g. evenings on occasion if required. In addition, we also expect you to share and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process. Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a . Leicestershire Children and Families Services In all service areas you are expected to work closely with colleagues across team and agency boundaries to ensure that families get the most appropriate level of support. Staff workloads are manageable and are monitored and managed closely. Managers and staff all have regular monthly supervision, and you will be supported in your practice by an experienced management team. As an organisation, we are committed to a strong and skilled workforce providing high quality services to the children and families of Leicestershire, following our relationship-based Signs of Safety practice approach. We are committed to doing our very best for vulnerable children and families; working to make a positive impact on their lives so they can achieve their potential and flourish. We are proud of our continuous improvement plan - ' ' which sets out our key values, behaviours and ambitions. We have embedded the Signs of Safety approach throughout our services and this approach mirrors our values of Aspiration, Being Curious, and Collaboration. We are focused on working with families and the networks of family, friends, and professionals around children, to work in collaboration to achieve shared goals. We are committed to our vision of becoming a trauma informed responsive department where we believe we are "stronger together". Our culture is one of partnership, where we look for solutions and recognise the potential impact of trauma on the children and families we work with and on our staff. We will strive to create a safe, compassionate, healing environment demonstrated through relationships based on trust, respect, hope, and empathy. We will achieve this through a spirit of curiosity, by nurturing connections through relationships, making a deliberate effort to know and understand people, and by providing hope for growth and recovery. We support and empower our staff to be the best that they can be. We will give you the support and resources that you need to work in collaboration with children and families. We want all our staff to be inspired to go the extra mile. We are doing our best to create a culture where practice excellence can flourish. We want to learn from what works, as much, if not more, than from when things go badly. We are ambitious to create a true learning organisation, so …

• Entry-level pay at Grade 9 (£33,129) until full Social Work England registration is achieved, with an increase to the top of Grade 9 (£38,776) (inclusive of Market Premium £3,283) upon registration.
• Protected and reduced caseloads during the ASYE year.
• Dedicated support from the ASYE Co-ordinator, regular network meetings with other ASYEs.
• Monthly reflective supervision with a practice mentor, in addition to supervision with your team manager.
• Intensive induction and tailored ASYE training.
• Working as part of the social work teams to increase knowledge and understanding including co-working with experienced colleagues.
• We run several conferences each year for staff to come together, reflect and learn.
• Every team sets aside time for team learning each month.
• You will receive consistent, regular, and reflective supervision including group supervision support.
• Twice a year our senior leaders take a week out and spend time with Social Workers, observing practice and talking to young people, parents, and carers about their experience of services.
• All Social Work England registered workers have three extra Continuous Professional Development days each year.
• Our highly valued training offer supports career progression and includes Practice Educator Awards and Aspiring Managers Program.
• We have an experienced team dedicated to supporting practice excellence.
• Our Practice Development Group is well established for practitioners to collaborate on practice development.
• We have a Critical Incident Response service for staff which provides independent therapeutic support within 48 hours.
• We have an excellent Wellbeing Service providing specific support to staff when needed, but also offer events throughout the year.

Qualifications

• Hold a Social Work degree or equivalent (e.g. CQSW, DipSW) specialising in children's services within the last two years or expect to qualify within the next year. You must also be registered with Social Work England or expect registration upon qualifying.
• You must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence (or be able to convert your current licence) AND have access to a vehicle.
• Have experience of working with children and families, knowledge of childcare legislation and Local Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures, particularly in relation to child protection and child in need. Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theoretical underpinning of social work practice and models used.
• Have an awareness of the cultural, racial, linguistic, and religious backgrounds of children, young people, and families applying inclusion principles in practice across your work.
• Hold strong assessment skills, capable of analysing information to make sound decisions which offer support and are impactful and be able to demonstrate this via examples.
• Have excellent prioritisation and time management skills to ensure the successful delivery of competing and changing work demands and be able to demonstrate this via examples.
• Be proficient in IT, with sound knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and database applications to ensure clear, accurate and age-appropriate communication with children, families, carers and external agencies/other service providers that support collaborative ways of working both orally and in writing.

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone. Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose. For further information on what it's like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following

Interview Date(s)

25th November 2026 - noting that candidates must be able to start employment by 31st January 2027 to accept and take up our ASYE offer. Have you been qualified as a Social Worker or are you due to qualify? Do you want to work with Leicestershire's "Outstanding" Children and Family services? We are welcoming applications from candidates with the enthusiasm to learn and a passion for working with children and families. Read more about our Outstanding Ofsted rating and find out more from our staff