Senior Social Worker (SSW) - Social Care Qualified

LinsCare; Highgate; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

North West & Central Child Protection Enquiry Service in Birmingham is seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker (SSW) with statutory childrens social care experience to lead complex safeguarding work.

You will undertake Section 47 enquiries, contribute to multi-agency meetings, and supervise junior staff, ensuring child-centred, relationship-based practice. The role requires UK right to work, a recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.

Qualifications

• Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Current Social Work England registration.
• Significant post-qualifying experience within statutory children's social care.
• Strong experience undertaking Section 47 Child Protection Enquiries.
• Experience of complex Child and Family Assessments.
• Sound knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and multi-agency child protection procedures.
• Strong analytical, assessment, report-writing and decision-making skills.
• Proven experience of effective multi-agency working.
• Ability to mentor, advise and support other Social Work practitioners.
• A commitment to child-centred, strengths-based and relationship-based practice.
• Understanding of anti-discriminatory, anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice.
• Must have a UK passport or a full right to work in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Undertake complex Section 47 Child Protection Enquiries and Child and Family Assessments within statutory timescales.
• Participate in and contribute to Multi-Agency Strategy Meetings, Discussions and Child Protection Conferences.
• Undertake meaningful direct work with children, ensuring their wishes, feelings and lived experiences inform assessments and planning.
• Analyse complex safeguarding information, identify risks and protective factors, and make clear, evidence-based professional recommendations.
• Identify patterns of cumulative harm, including domestic abuse, neglect, physical harm, substance misuse, exploitation and serious youth violence.
• Develop effective safety plans with children, families and multi-agency professional networks.
• Work collaboratively with Police, Education, Health and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Provide professional advice, mentoring and guidance to Social Workers within the team.
• Promote reflective practice, professional curiosity and high standards of recording, assessment and decision-making.
• Support the Team Manager in maintaining effective workflow, timely case progression and safe practice during duty periods.

Skills

Analytical skills

Mentoring

Multi-agency collaboration

Decision-making

Relationship-based practice

Education

Social Work qualification

Job description

Senior Social Worker (SSW) - Social Care Qualified

Location: Birmingham, West Midlands
Pay Rate: £30.58 per hour (Umbrella)
Service: North West & Central Child Protection Enquiry Service
Job Type: Contract
Reporting to: Team Manager
Working Arrangements: Office-based during duty week, with remote/agile working outside duty week in line with service requirements.

The Opportunity

We are currently seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Social Worker (SSW) to join the North West & Central Child Protection Enquiry Service in Birmingham.

This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified Social Worker with significant statutory children's social care experience and a strong background in child protection and safeguarding.

You will undertake complex safeguarding work with children and families where there are concerns that a child may be suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. You will play a key role in ensuring children's voices, lived experiences, safety and wellbeing remain central to all assessments, interventions and decision-making.

As a senior practitioner, you will also provide professional guidance, support and constructive challenge to colleagues, helping to promote high-quality, child-centred and relationship-based practice across the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake complex Section 47 Child Protection Enquiries and Child and Family Assessments within statutory timescales.
• Participate in and contribute to Multi-Agency Strategy Meetings, Discussions and Child Protection Conferences.
• Undertake meaningful direct work with children, ensuring their wishes, feelings and lived experiences inform assessments and planning.
• Analyse complex safeguarding information, identify risks and protective factors, and make clear, evidence-based professional recommendations.
• Identify patterns of cumulative harm, including domestic abuse, neglect, physical harm, substance misuse, exploitation and serious youth violence.
• Develop effective safety plans with children, families and multi-agency professional networks.
• Work collaboratively with Police, Education, Health and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Provide professional advice, mentoring and guidance to Social Workers within the team.
• Promote reflective practice, professional curiosity and high standards of recording, assessment and decision-making.
• Support the Team Manager in maintaining effective workflow, timely case progression and safe practice during duty periods.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong safeguarding knowledge, confident analytical skills and the ability to manage complex child protection cases. You will be committed to relationship-based practice, professional curiosity and ensuring that children remain at the centre of every decision.

You will be confident in working with families experiencing challenging circumstances, including situations involving resistance, hostility or disguised compliance, while maintaining respectful and purposeful professional relationships.

You will also have the ability to support and positively influence other practitioners, modelling excellent social work practice and promoting continuous improvement.

Essential Requirements

• Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Current Social Work England registration.
• Significant post-qualifying experience within statutory children's social care.
• Strong experience undertaking Section 47 Child Protection Enquiries.
• Experience of complex Child and Family Assessments.
• Sound knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and multi-agency child protection procedures.
• Strong analytical, assessment, report-writing and decision-making skills.
• Proven experience of effective multi-agency working.
• Ability to mentor, advise and support other Social Work practitioners.
• A commitment to child-centred, strengths-based and relationship-based practice.
• Understanding of anti-discriminatory, anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice.
• Must have a UK passport or a full right to work in the UK.

What Good Practice Looks Like

You will be able to balance the need for timely safeguarding intervention with high-quality, thoughtful and analytical assessments.

You will demonstrate professional curiosity, confidently challenge where necessary and distinguish between fact, professional opinion and hypothesis.

Above all, you will ensure that your practice clearly identifies what has happened to the child, the impact on their lived experience, what needs to change and why any proposed intervention is necessary and proportionate to the level of risk.