Qualified Children's Social Worker

Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service); Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Cafcass is recruiting Children’s Social Workers (Family Court Advisers) to advocate for the voices of children in private and public law proceedings. You will assess and represent children in court, applying risk and mediation skills to prioritise their safety and welfare.

Roles span Private Law, Public Law or converged teams. The work supports lasting change for children across multiple settings with flexible supervision and professional development.

Qualifications

• Social Work qualification is essential.
• Right to Work in the UK and no sponsorship.
• Registered with Social Work England or eligible to register quickly.
• Recent, relevant experience of working directly with children and families.
• Desirable: experience in family court proceedings or knowledge of Private and/or Public Law.
• For applicants with limited post-qualifying experience, relevant pre-qualifying experience may be beneficial.
• Strong organisational skills, professional resilience and the ability to work independently while managing a varied caseload.

Responsibilities

• Complete high-quality assessments engaging directly with children to understand their experiences, wishes and feelings.
• Apply risk assessment, analysis and mediation to centre the child’s safety and long-term welfare.
• Collaborate with adults, local authorities and professionals to resolve complex issues and improve outcomes for children.

Skills

Organisational skills

Professional resilience

Independent working

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

We are excited to offer a Professional Joining Incentive of £4,000 for those who join one of our teams in this area. You can find out further information about this payment prior to applying for the role - check vacancy documents.

At Cafcass, we’re recruiting Children’s Social Workers who 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 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

• 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 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 post‑qualifying experience, relevant pre‑qualifying 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 Stevenage, 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

• High‑quality 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 work-life 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 / Timelines

Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

Closing Date

26 October 2026

Telephoneinterviews:

We'll offer dates / times as close to when you apply as we can

Final Interview

Once you’ve have 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].

Successful applicants will undergo various pre-engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In line with the DBS code of practice and our policy, if a criminal offence is declared, an individual assessment will be conducted. For further details regarding this assessment, please refer to the Cafcass DBS policy.