Senior Social Worker - Family Safeguarding Team

Peterborough City Council; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A progressive local authority in Peterborough is seeking an Experienced Social Worker to join their Family Safeguarding Service. This role emphasizes manageable caseloads and collaboration in diverse teams. You will be responsible for safeguarding vulnerable children, utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach. Ideal candidates will have a degree in Social Work, relevant experience, and a commitment to professional development. Join us to make a difference in the lives of children and young people while enjoying generous benefits and rewards.

Benefits

Generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays

Access to various employee benefits and discounts

Market-leading salary and retention bonuses

Development opportunities including apprenticeships

Paid volunteering hours

Qualifications

• At least 2.5 years experience in a children’s social care team.
• Experience in a multi-disciplinary approach to safeguarding.
• Willing and able to travel between locations.

Responsibilities

• Work within tight teams and manageable caseloads.
• Collaborate with various teams for comprehensive service.
• Maintain professional development and adapt to new practices.

Skills

Detail-oriented

Team collaboration

Knowledge of legislation

Education

Diploma or degree in Social Work or equivalent

Job description

All about the Role

We are seeking an Experienced Social Worker to join our Family Safeguarding Service.

Tight teams, manageable caseloads and life changing results is what gets us out of bed in the morning.
It’s a bold statement to make but we believe in better outcomes for children and young people, allied with job satisfaction for our team of dedicated social workers.
You believe in the power of the Family Safeguarding approach; with multi‑disciplinary teams and positive results, delivered through significantly better outcomes for some of the most vulnerable and at‑risk children.
You are an experienced, qualified social worker (with current SWE registration) and want to be part of a flagship for children’s service innovation.
You thrive in diverse, supportive teams and want to feel empowered to make important decisions, flexing your creative muscle to solve challenging situations with innovative solutions.
You want easy access to complementary teams and services, ideally co‑located in the same building, to make collaborative work much easier – at Peterborough the Housing, Children with Disabilities, Adult Social Care, Legal and other teams are all easily accessed within a purpose‑built office, which benefits from large river and green space views and a city centre location that is also close to main road and rail transport links.

This is a rolling campaign and will close as soon as suitable candidate is found, so please don't wait for the closing date to apply. We aim to review all applications quickly and contact you soon after your first application

All about our Team

OFSTED highlighted that children in need of protection, and those with more complex needs, receive appropriate support from the family safeguarding teams. And for most children, it was highlighted that risks and needs are identified, and interventions are provided at the right level. But we always want to improve and expand the Family Safeguarding team, ensuring we keep caseloads at a manageable level and for that reason, we are recruiting one experienced social worker.

All about You

• You have a diploma or degree in Social Work or equivalent and have completed your ASYE.
• You have at least 2.5 years experience in a children’s social care team.
• You are a diligent and detail‐oriented individual.
• You are experienced while still being willing to learn new things and maintaining your own continuing professional development.
• You have a driving licence and a willingness and ability to travel between locations.
• You have an in‑depth knowledge of current legislation and guidance.

All about our Benefits

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme.

• Access to a range of benefits via Vivup, including in‑store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes.
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro‑rata).
• Access to car lease scheme.
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances.
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings.
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth.
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day.
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network.
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards.

We believe that high‑performing teams should be rewarded with a market‑leading salary and generous retention bonuses that reward your hard work. At Peterborough these yearly lump sums are on top of your salary and include:
- 2.5% of your starting salary payable on the 1st anniversary of your start date
- 7.5% of your starting salary payable on the 2nd anniversary of your start date
- 10% of your starting salary payable on the 3rd anniversary of your start date
- Fixed lump sums payable every year thereafter depending on your grade
Does this sound like somewhere you could flourish? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

All about our Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] we will work with you to meet your needs.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you’ve already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there’s no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.