Social Worker

Royal-Borough-of-Kensington-and-Chelsea; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is seeking a Social Worker for our Locality Social Work Team to support children and families in fostering safety, stability and brighter futures. You will manage a varied caseload from initial assessment to long-term planning, ensuring best interests guide every decision.

You'll work within a locality-based duty system, collaborate with other agencies, and maintain thorough case records.

Qualifications

• Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Registered with Social Work England.
• Up-to-date Enhanced DBS check covering both children and adults.
• Experience in child protection or statutory childcare work or a relevant placement.
• Strong skills in risk assessment, communication and relationship-building.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload and provide high-quality social work to children and families across all stages.
• Engage in Child in Need, Child Protection, Looked After Children and court work.
• Maintain accurate case recording and documentation; manage financial transactions.
• Represent the service in meetings and court; contribute to working groups.

Skills

Risk assessment

Communication

Relationship-building

IT systems

Education

Social Work qualification

Tools

DBS checks

Social Work England registration

Job description

Support children and families across our borough, guiding them through life's challenges and helping them build brighter futures

As a Social Worker in our Locality Social Work Team, you'll work directly with children and families to help them find stability, safety and opportunity. From the first assessment through to long-term planning, you'll see each child's journey in full, making sure every decision has their best interests at heart. This is hands-on, purposeful work that changes lives and strengthens our community.

What you'll be doing:

You'll manage a varied caseload, providing high-quality social work to children and families across all stages of their journey, from Child in Need and Child Protection through to Looked After Children and court work. Your approach will combine empathy and professionalism, helping families overcome challenges and ensuring children are safe, supported and heard. You'll take part in a locality-based duty system, collaborating with other agencies to provide a joined-up, effective response.

Accurate, timely case recording will be a key part of your role, along with managing financial transactions and maintaining clear documentation. You'll represent the service in meetings and in court, contribute to working groups and stay up-to-date with legislation, policy and best practice. This is a fast-paced role where no two days are the same and where your judgement, compassion and persistence can make a lasting difference in a child's life.

Job Description and Person Specification

What you'll bring

You'll hold a recognised Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England. You'll also have an up-to-date Enhanced DBS check covering both children and adults.

You'll bring experience of child protection or statutory childcare work or, if you're newly qualified, a relevant placement that demonstrates your readiness for practice. You'll have strong skills in risk assessment, communication and relationship-building, with the ability to work sensitively with children, families and professionals.

Organisation, resilience and attention to detail are vital in managing complex cases and competing demands. You'll be confident using IT systems and understand how to plan effectively for children's long-term needs. Above all, you'll share our core values, putting communities first, respecting others, acting with integrity and working together to achieve the best outcomes for families.

Why join us

At RBKC, we're all in - investing in our people, our communities and our future.

You'll join a supportive, collaborative service that's proud to have maintained an Outstandingrating for over a decade. We'll help you grow through regular supervision, peer learning and access to training and development programmes, including Systemic Practice and leadership pathways.

You'll also have access to our We Are Learning Hub and flexible working options, including one day a week from home. It's an exciting time to join as we move forward with national Social Care Reforms - shaping how we deliver even better services for families.

We believe in looking after our people. You'll be valued, supported and encouraged to thrive, with a competitive salary, generous leave and a workplace culture built on respect and trust.

About us

Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough.

As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all.

This role is a true reflection of our 'we're all in' ethos. Whether you're supporting a family through crisis or helping a young person find their path, you'll bring empathy, determination and professionalism to everything you do. Your persistence turns challenges into opportunities and every success you help achieve strengthens our borough and the people who call it home.

Position and Interview Details

This role requires the successful candidate to undertake an Enhanced Adults and Children's DBS with Adults and Children Barred list. Interviews will take place on the 16th November 2026. Working Style: You'll be based in the Borough for 4 days a week, playing a key role in serving the local community. Whether you're working on the frontline or behind the scenes, you'll be part of a dedicated team making a real difference to residents' lives.

We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices.

New hires will normally start at the minimum of the pay scale. However, a higher starting salary may be negotiated where a candidate demonstrates exceptional skills, knowledge, or experience.