Social Work Consultant

Durham County Council; North East; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working (home and office)

Recruitment/retention allowance £2,500

Job summary

Durham County Council is seeking a Social Work Consultant for the Children in Care Service. The role blends direct work with children and families with practice leadership, mentoring colleagues, and shaping service development with the Team Manager.

The ideal candidate brings extensive experience with children, families and evidence-based interventions, plus knowledge of relevant legislation. Recruitment/retention allowance of £2,500 over 12 months is provided, with hybrid working where

Qualifications

• Significant experience with children, young people and families.
• Experience using evidence-based practice to devise interventions.
• Knowledge of legislation and national standards relevant to the role.
• Ability to apply social work theories to practice.
• Commitment to improving outcomes for children and families.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional guidance, support and challenge to Social Workers, helping build confidence, resilience, knowledge and skills.
• Co-work and oversee complex cases, offering reflective support and professional expertise for effective decisions and outcomes.
• Champion good practice by contributing to development plans, case audits and continuous improvement.
• Work with the Team Manager to provide leadership, oversight and drive high standards of practice.
• Chair and facilitate meetings, promoting placement stability and positive relationships.

Skills

Social work experience

Evidence-based practice

Leadership & mentoring

Legislation & standards knowledge

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Work

Registered Social Worker with Social Work England

Job description

Do you believe every child deserves to grow up feeling loved, safe, and supported, with a lasting sense of family, belonging, and stability?

Are you an experienced and passionate social worker looking for the next step in your career? Do you have the skills and ambition to support children in care, champion high-quality social work practice, and help develop and inspire a dedicated team?

If so, we'd love to hear from you.

Due to career progression within our service, we are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a Social Work Consultant to join our Children in Care Service. This rewarding role combines direct support for children and young people with opportunities to mentor colleagues, promote excellent practice, and work closely with the Team Manager to support the effective leadership and development of the service.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

• Provide professional guidance, support and challenge to Social Workers, helping to build confidence, resilience, knowledge and skills, and supporting their ongoing development and progression.
• Co-work and oversee complex cases, offering reflective support and professional expertise to ensure effective decision-making, high-quality recording, and improved outcomes for children and young people.
• Champion good practice across the service by contributing to the Team Development Plan, undertaking case audits and dip sampling, identifying areas of strength and development, and promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Work in partnership with the Team Manager to provide effective leadership and oversight, helping to drive performance, maintain high standards of practice, and support a positive team culture.
• Chair and facilitate key meetings, including low-level strategy discussions and stability meetings, with a strong focus on maintaining placement stability, promoting permanence, and ensuring children experience safety, security, and positive relationships.
• Act as a role model for excellent social work practice, providing consistent advice, guidance and support to colleagues while helping to foster a motivated, collaborative and child-centred team environment.

As a Social Work Consultant, you will have a unique opportunity to combine direct work with children and families with practice leadership responsibilities, influencing the quality of service delivery and helping colleagues to thrive. Your expertise will play a vital role in ensuring children in care receive the stability, support and opportunities they need to achieve their full potential.

You will be joining us at a fantastic time. Inspectors have judged our Children’s Services as Outstanding and a recent monitoring review highlighted excellent practice in relation to supporting our children and young people who are sadly in unregulated provisions.

This post is eligible for a recruitment/retention allowance of £2,500 over 12 months (pro-rata for part time workers). Payments are made in equal instalments across a 12-month period alongside your pay. The allowances are subject to tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

• Be a social worker with significant experience of work with children, young people and families.
• Have experience of using evidence-based practice to devise effective interventions.
• Have knowledge and experience of implementing legislation and national standards relevant to the role.
• Have the ability to implement a range of social work theories relevant to the role.
• Be committed to improving outcomes for children, young people, families and carers.

You can read more about the experience, skills and personal qualities we are looking for in the attached person specification.

If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING

Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought, inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on 24th September 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• attractive salaries
• a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service)
• membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme
• a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement.

We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from [e-mail]. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

CONNECT WITH US

Follow us on Instagram

Like us on Facebook

Visit our website

#VPRS/161