Qualified Children's Social Worker

Cafcass, Manchester; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Cafcass is seeking a Social Worker (FCA) in Manchester to advocate for the best interests of children and young people. You will conduct high quality assessments, engage with children to understand their wishes, and ensure their views are clearly represented to the family court.

We value compassionate, curious practitioners with recent frontline experience in child and family settings, including potential exposure to family court work.

Qualifications

• A Social Work qualification is essential.
• Right to Work in the UK (we do not sponsor).
• Registered with Social Work England (or able to register quickly).
• Recent experience working directly with children and families.
• Desirable: experience in family court proceedings or knowledge of Private/Public Law.
• Strong organisational skills and resilience; able to manage a varied caseload.

Responsibilities

• Complete high quality assessments engaging directly with children.
• Apply risk assessment, analysis and mediation to prioritise the child’s safety and wellbeing.
• Work with adults, local authorities and professionals to resolve complex issues and influence outcomes.

Skills

Social work experience

Children and families

Court/advocacy experience

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

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 best arrangements 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 highquality 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 longterm interests at the centre of decisionmaking.
• 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 postqualifying experience, relevant prequalifying 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 Manchester, 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.

How we support you

As the largest 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:

• Highquality equipment and technology to help you work efficiently and engage with families effectively.
• Access to specialist resources, guidance and training to strengthen your practice.
• A strong commitment to wellbeing, reflective supervision and healthy worklife balance.
• An inclusive environment that values 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: 9th November 2026
• Telephoneinterviews: We'll offer dates / times as close to when you apply as we can
• Final Interview: Once you’ve 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]