Senior Social Worker – Family Help Lead Practitioner (Patchway / West Hub)

South Gloucestershire Council; Patchway; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

South Gloucestershire Council is seeking a Senior Social Worker in the Family Help service based at the West Family Help Hub, Patchway. You will lead complex casework, assess risk and coordinate multi-agency support to help children and families thrive.

You will supervise staff, contribute to practice development and drive service improvement while maintaining high standards and safeguarding responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Must hold a recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England
• Significant post-qualification experience within a local authority children’s services setting
• Detailed knowledge of children’s legislation and practice, with strong assessment, risk analysis, safety planning and complex statutory decision-making
• Experience of staff supervision, mentoring or practice development and ability to support others through reflective learning and guidance
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with children, families, colleagues and partner agencies

Responsibilities

• Hold the most complex cases across Child in Need, Child Protection and early Children in Care, with high-quality assessment, planning, intervention and review
• Make robust and timely decisions where there is risk of significant harm, balancing safety, rights and statutory responsibilities
• Facilitate family group decision-making, strengthen networks and coordinate multi-agency support
• Provide professional oversight, supervision, mentoring and guidance to staff, students and less experienced workers
• Lead group learning, workshops or areas of practice and contribute to service development and performance
• Support Team Manager with service quality and team performance
• Travel throughout the authority and surrounding area, with occasional work outside normal hours

Skills

Registration with Social Work England

Experience in children’s services

Assessment & risk analysis

Staff supervision & mentoring

Communication with families & partners

Education

Recognised social work qualification

Post-qualifying award

Job description

How you'll make a difference

South Gloucestershire’s children’s social care service is rated Good by Ofsted, and we are committed to building on this strong foundation by delivering high-quality support that helps children and families thrive. As a Senior Social Worker within our Family Help service, you will play a key role in providing experienced, relationship-based social work practice, supporting children, young people and families to achieve positive and lasting outcomes.

You will manage the most complex cases, using your expertise to assess risk, strengthen safety and ensure children receive the right support at the right time. Contributing to the ongoing development of practice across the team, you will support colleagues, promote reflective learning and help to maintain consistently high standards of service delivery.

What you will be doing

Working within a multi-disciplinary Family Help and Best Start Community team, you will combine complex casework with professional leadership. Children’s voices, family networks and relationship-based practice will remain central as you coordinate statutory support and help families build safety, confidence and resilience.

• Holding the most complex cases across Child in Need, Child Protection and early Children in Care, you will complete high-quality assessment, planning, intervention and review.
• Using your professional judgement, you will make robust and timely decisions where there is risk of significant harm, balancing children’s safety, family rights and statutory responsibilities.
• You will facilitate family group decision-making, strengthen family networks and coordinate effective multi-agency support.
• It will be your responsibility to provide professional oversight, supervision, mentoring and practice guidance to alternatively qualified staff, students and less experienced social workers.
• Leading group learning, workshops or a specialist area of practice, you will contribute to service development, policy, performance and continuous improvement.
• You may directly manage a small number of alternatively qualified practitioners and will support the Team Manager with service quality, professional standards and team performance.

What we need from you

• It is essential that you hold a recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England, alongside a relevant post-qualifying award.
• You will have significant post-qualification experience within a local authority children’s services setting, including evidence-based work with vulnerable children and families.
• We are looking for someone who has detailed knowledge of children’s legislation and practice, with strong skills in assessment, risk analysis, safety planning and complex statutory decision-making.
• You must have experience of staff supervision, mentoring or practice development and be able to support others through constructive challenge, reflective learning and professional guidance.
• As an effective communicator and relationship builder, you will be confident handling difficult and sensitive issues with children, families, colleagues and partner agencies.

What you need to know

• We are unable to accommodate applications from newly qualified social workers or candidates who require an Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). Applicants must already have successfully completed their ASYE.
• This position is based in our West Family Help Hub, Patchway.
• Although this post is advertised as full time, we welcome applications from experienced Social Workers seeking part-time, job-share or flexible working arrangements.
• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area, so you must have a full, valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle insured for business use or have an alternative suitable means of travel.
• An enhanced DBS check is required, and you will need to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area, with occasional work outside normal office hours.

Interviews are anticipated to be held on 18h November 2026, however alternate dates may be available and we may shortlist on a rolling basis.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
• We invest in the careers of our people, and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long‑term difference in their work.
• What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos. We are a relatively small local authority, so managers know staff well. They can plan their services to ensure teams have manageable caseloads and have effective supervision so feel supported to make decisions which are right for the children and young people they work with.
• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.

These posts attract a gross lump sum £3,000 ‘recruitment payment’ pro rata offered to enable experienced Social Workers who have already successfully completed their ASYE to join our permanent workforce. This is payable upon successful completion of your probationary period (after approximately 3-6 months) and is subject to eligibility criteria.

These posts are currently eligible for a market factor £3,000 ‘retention payment’ pro rata, payable in November annually to those with two years’ service with the council in Children’s Social Care In an eligible post, inclusive of any ASYE period.

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
• We’re providing essential services across our communities to ensure they are safe and well maintained.

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.

We’re making a difference, be part of it!