Senior Social Worker - Kinship Assessment

Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Limited; Northampton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading children’s trust in the UK is seeking a Senior Social Worker for their Kinship Assessment Team. This role involves mentorship, complex assessments, and teamwork across services to ensure holistic support for families, contributing to positive outcomes for children. The trust values a healthy workforce and offers an attractive benefits package.

Benefits

Welcome Bonus of £4,000

Relocation costs of up to £8,000

28 days annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme plus life cover

Flexible and family working arrangements

Extensive Learning & Development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee discounts with retailers

Qualifications

• Qualified social worker with 3 years post qualifying experience, registered with Social Work England.
• Experience in Kinship or Fostering teams.
• Ability to build strong relationships with families and professionals.

Responsibilities

• Carry complex cases and provide mentoring and guidance to fellow social workers.
• Complete thorough assessments using the Signs of Safety framework.
• Collaborate with colleagues in Legal, Education, Health, and Safeguarding.

Skills

Mentoring

Collaboration

Child-centred practice

Education

Social Work degree

Job description

Senior Social Worker - Kinship Assessment

Are you passionate about keeping children within their family networks?

As a Senior Social Worker in our Kinship Assessment Team, you’ll play a vital role in assessing and supporting extended family members and close friends who step forward to care for children through the PLO (Public Law Outline) process.

You’ll be part of a dynamic, supportive, and child-focused team that champions permanency through family and kinship placements. Your work will directly contribute to helping children thrive in familiar, loving environments.

Whilst still being a part of the Children’s Trust we are also a stand-alone Independent Fostering Agency, so we are very special.

We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email: [e-mail] and they can agree a mutually agreeable time to call you

What will you be doing?

• Lead with Impact : Carry complex cases and provide mentoring and guidance to fellow social workers.
• Deliver High-Quality Assessments : Complete timely, thorough assessments using the Signs of Safety framework and other best-practice tools.
• Collaborate Across Services : Work closely with colleagues in Legal, Education, Health, and Safeguarding to ensure holistic support for families.
• Drive Innovation : Take the lead on projects that enhance and develop our service.
• Be a First Responder : Join the duty rota to conduct initial viability assessments for prospective carers.
• Support Growth : Help shape a positive, inclusive team culture where everyone’s strengths are valued.

About you

You are a qualified social workerwith 3 years post qualifying experience, registered with Social Work England, and bring:

• Experience in Kinship or Fostering teams.
• A passion for mentoring and supporting colleagues.
• A collaborative spirit and a commitment to child-centred practice.
• The ability to build strong, respectful relationships with families and professionals alike.

Are you ready to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families? Join us and be part of a team dedicated to creating positive change!

This role is exempt fro m the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

• SWE Registrationpaid yearly (social care colleagues)
• RecruitmentWelcome Bonus of £4,000
• Relocationcosts of up to £8,000
• 28days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days,after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
• Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
• A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
• Extensive Learning & Development andcareer development opportunities
• Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do – in every decision we make and every action we take. Our mission is driven by the unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for them. The Trust is wholly owned and funded but operationally independent from the Councils.

Our workforce are our most valuable asset and are pivotal to making the services and support we offer to children, young people and families who need us to be the absolute best we can be.

We value our colleagues and empower them to be able to do the best job of their lives every single day, working in a culture of support and kindness where achievements are celebrated and creativity is very much welcomed.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation. We are a disability confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

Join our dedicated team and be a part of an organisation where your work makes a real difference.

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Senior Social Worker - Kinship Assessment