Qualified Children's Social Worker

Cafcass Organisation; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Joining incentive

Flexible working locations

Job summary

Cafcass is recruiting for Children’s Social Workers (Family Court Advisers) to support children in private and public law cases. The role focuses on speaking for children and ensuring their wishes are heard, across Private Law, Public Law, or shared teams.

The post involves flexible settings (office in Chelmsford, home, courts, schools) with regional travel; joining incentives may apply. You will work under supervision, with regular meetings and supportive supervision to maintain wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Social Work qualification is essential.
• Right to Work in the UK (we don’t sponsor people to work in the UK).
• Registered with Social Work England (or able to register quickly).
• Recent, relevant experience of working directly with children and families.
• Desirable: experience in family court proceedings or knowledge of Private/Public Law.
• For those with limited post-qualifying experience, relevant pre-qualifying experience may be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Complete high-quality assessments engaging directly with children to understand their experiences and wishes.
• Apply risk assessment, analysis, and mediation to place the child’s safety and long-term interests at the centre of decisions.
• Work with adults, local authorities and professionals to resolve complex issues and influence outcomes for children.

Skills

Risk assessment

Analysis

Mediation

Communication

Organisational skills

Resilience

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

We are offering a £4,000 ‘Professional Joining Incentive’ if you successfully join one of our Essex teams. You can find out further information about this incentive and the associated terms and conditions by accessing the relevant vacancy document.

At Cafcass, we’re recruitingChildren’s Social Workerswho 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 asFamily 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 helpresolve complex issuesand influencebetter 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:

• ASocial Work qualificationis essential.
• Have theRight 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 experienceof working directly with children and families.
• It’s desirable you’ll have experience infamily court proceedings, or knowledge of Private and/or Public Law.
• For applicants with limited post‑qualifying experience,relevant pre‑qualifying experiencesupporting children and families may be beneficial.
• Strongorganisationalskills, professionalresilienceand the ability to work independently while effectively managing a varied caseload.

You can view the full job description in thevacancy documents.

Where you’ll work

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

Please note, whilst our office location is in Chelmsford,there will be a requirement to travel for this role withinEast of Englandregion, covering the following geographical areas:

• Essex
• Southend
• Thurrock

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.

How we support you

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

At Cafcass, you’ll benefit from:

• High‑quality equipment and technologyto help you work efficiently and engage with families effectively.
• Access tospecialist resources, guidance and trainingto strengthen your practice.
• A strong commitment towellbeing, reflective supervision and healthy work–life balance.
• An inclusive environment thatvalues diversity, encourages learning and constantly strives to improve outcomes for children, families and colleagues alike.

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

Next steps

Below we have set out an indicative timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

Closing date:2nd September 2026

Telephoneinterviews:TBC

Final Interview:TBC

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

Successful applicants will complete several pre‑engagement checks, including aDisclosure and Barring Service (DBS)check. If any criminal offences are disclosed, we will conduct an individual assessment in line with theDBS code of practiceand theCafcass DBS policy.