Senior Social Worker - WAYPOINT Team

South Gloucestershire Council; England; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in England is seeking a Senior Social Worker for the WAYPOINT team, focusing on therapeutic support for fostering families. The role involves direct support to foster carers and children while managing team members. Applicants must be qualified social workers with relevant practice registration. The position is full-time but welcomes flexible working arrangements. Generous annual leave and supportive management are part of the benefits package.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Employee wellbeing support

Staff discounts

Training and development opportunities

Career progression options

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with relevant registration to practice with Social Work England (SWE).
• Experience in supervision or mentoring social workers or support staff.
• Substantial first-hand experience in a relevant children’s social care team.

Responsibilities

• Provide one-to-one therapeutically and trauma-informed support to foster carers.
• Manage two Inclusion and Adolescent Participation Workers.
• Facilitate a monthly ‘WAYPOINT Drop In’ session.

Skills

Problem-solving

Decision-making

Trauma-informed support

Mentoring

Education

Qualified Social Worker with registration to practice

Job description

Senior Social Worker - WAYPOINT Team

Location: Badminton Road

Salary Range: £45,091 - £48,226

Position Type: Full-Time

Contract Type: Limited Term

Hours: 37.00

Job Description

As a Senior Social Worker, you will be working within the WAYPOINT team (Working Alongside Young People and Others in Networks Therapeutically). The service offers therapeutic support to strengthen fostering families. This can include one to one work supporting foster carers, children and young people in care, and children of foster carers.

We support foster carers in considering responses to the various ways children and young people express their trauma. We also provide short-term interventions for children and young people in care and offer short-term support to children of foster carers focusing on the opportunities and challenges of being part of a fostering family when worries or confusion arise.

What you will be doing

• Working in the ‘supporting fostering families’ section of WAYPOINT, you will provide one to one therapeutically and trauma informed support to foster carers and also facilitate a monthly ‘WAYPOINT Drop In’ session.
• It will be your responsibility to manage two Inclusion and Adolescent Participation Workers, known as (FACS) Foster Carer and Children’s Support Workers. FACS workers provide support to foster carers, children of foster carers and children in care. They also support the Participation team by helping at Teen Care Council (TCC) events.

What we need from you

• We require you to be a qualified Social Worker with relevant registration to practice with Social Work England (SWE).
• Given the elements of this role, you will be used to solving problems, be confident about making important decisions and be passionate about working with children, young people and families to meet their goals and aspirations.
• You will have experience of supervision or mentoring social workers or support staff and substantial first-hand experience in a relevant children’s social care team.
• Ideally, you will have trained in Signs of Safety practice or have a willingness to learn as you will need to lead Signs of Safety group supervision for the WAYPOINT team.

What you need to know

• Although this post is advertised as a full-time position, we encourage and welcome applications from experienced social workers who may be seeking part-time, job share or flexible working arrangements.
• Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained.
• 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. Business insurance will need to be added to your current car policy.

Interviews will be held week commencing 12th January 2026.

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.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working for South Gloucestershire Council. Staff report feeling heard and responded to by senior leaders. Reduced workloads, increased stability of managers and more business support have strengthened their ability to respond to and improve the quality of practice for children. A wealth of concentrated training, including the Programme for Change initiative, has developed skill sets and expertise of staff. Staff benefit from a clear pathway of career progression, including a bespoke managers development programme. Ofsted Report published July 2024.

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.