Social Worker

LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual retention payment up to £4,500

Training and development opportunities

Career progression pathway to Team Mgr

Reflective supervision and learning

27 days annual leave + bank holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme

Hybrid and flexible working options

Job summary

Brent Council is recruiting a Social Worker to join either the Family Support or Child Protection and Court Work teams. You will protect, empower and transform lives by working with children and families on need and protection plans within a supportive local authority.

The role offers London weighting with a clear progression path, extensive training, reflective supervision and hybrid/flexible working wherever possible. Brent promotes inclusion and staff wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Post-qualifying experience in children's social care, including child protection and court work.
• Excellent communication, assessment, and analytical skills.
• Confident in applying legislation and statutory guidance in practice.
• Embrace change, are IT-savvy, and work well under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Support children, young people and families through Child in Need and Child Protection plans.
• Work alongside families to reduce risk and develop sustainable safety within their own support networks.
• Support families through pre-proceedings and, where necessary, care proceedings.
• Undertake parenting assessments and prepare Section 7 and Section 37 reports for the court.
• Work collaboratively with professionals across agencies, sharing expertise and driving positive change for children.

Skills

Post-qualifying experience

Communication skills

Legislation knowledge

IT literacy

Job description

Job Description

Salary range: PO1 - £42,060/PO2 - £44,685 - £48,003/PO3 - £48,003 - £51,138 per annum inclusive of London weighting (plus £5k Golden Hello & £4,500 Annual retention payment)

Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Civic Centre and other locations from time to time

Looking to make a real difference?

Join Brent's Family Support and Child Protection and Court Work teams and be the voice that protects, empowers, and transforms lives.

Brent is a tremendously vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline. Spanning both inner and outer London, it is a borough of huge contrasts in terms of its economic, environmental, ethnic and social make up.

Brent's diversity is evident to all who visit our borough, and our long history of ethnic and cultural diversity has created a place that is truly unique and valued by those who live and work here.

The council is pursuing a far-reaching transformation agenda that better meets the needs of our community, so it is an exciting time to join us!

Protecting Futures, Empowering Families - Come and Grow Your Social Work Career in Brent

At Brent Council, we are proud to be rated "Good" in all areas by Ofsted. We are a borough that is deeply committed to putting children and families at the heart of everything we do.

Join us and become part of a forward-thinking, supportive local authority where your work will have a real and lasting impact.

Why This Role Matters

Our Family Support Teams play a vital role in helping children and families achieve lasting change. Working with children in need and those subject to Early Help Plans, the teams provide purposeful, relationship-based support to address concerns early, reduce risk and prevent difficulties from escalating.

Our Child Protection and Court Work teams are at the frontline of safeguarding children and young people. These teams carry out vital statutory work, from Section 47 investigations through to Care Proceedings.

These are roles that truly makes a difference-working directly with families to reduce risk, strengthen support networks, and ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Social Worker in our Family Support OR Child Protection and Court Work teams, you will:

• Support children, young people and families through Child in Need and Child Protection plans.
• Work alongside families to reduce risk and develop sustainable safety within their own support networks.
• Support families through pre-proceedings and, where necessary, care proceedings.
• Undertake parenting assessments and prepare Section 7 and Section 37 reports for the court.
• Work collaboratively with professionals across agencies, sharing expertise and driving positive change for children.

Our approach is relationship-based and rooted in systemic practice. We believe in working alongside families-recognising their strengths, building trust and supporting them to achieve lasting change.

Who We're Looking For

• Adequate post-qualifying experience in children's social care, including child protection and court work.
• Possess excellent communication, assessment, and analytical skills.
• Are confident in applying legislation and statutory guidance in practice.
• Embrace change, are IT-savvy, and work well under pressure.

What We Offer You

Your growth and wellbeing are just as important to us as the families you will support. That's why Brent offers a generous and forward-thinking benefits package, including:

• Annual retention payment of up to £4,500 to reward your continued commitment.
• A minimum of 10 days of training per year, focused on direct practice and our "This is Brent, this is how we Grow" framework, which draws from systemic approaches like Signs of Safety.
• A clear and supportive career progression pathway - from Social Worker to Team Manager and beyond.
• Access to high-quality reflective supervision and a professional learning culture.
• 27 days' annual leave, rising with length of service, plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
• Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
• Supportive family-friendly policies, including carers' leave, paternity leave and compassionate leave for eligible employees
• Health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial wellbeing support, including education sessions, childcare deposit loans and season ticket loans
• Travel support, including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme and onsite facilities
• Learning and development opportunities to support your career
• Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment

To learn more about our staff benefits, visit Our offer to you.

Join Us in Shaping Brighter Futures

This is more than a job-it's a chance to transform lives. If you're passionate about safeguarding children and committed to making a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects the people we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage applicants to complete the diversity survey section of the application.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. We expect all employees to demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory practices in their work. This commitment forms part of our recruitment process, and candidates may be assessed on their understanding of and ability to contribute to an inclusive working environment.

The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas, who will use it to help prevent fraud and other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details on how your information will be used by Brent and Cifas, and your data protection rights can be found here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. This includes people with hidden disabilities, long-term health conditions, diagnoses and mental health conditions. We also guarantee an interview to care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria. Information shared for this purpose will be treated fairly and used only to confirm eligibility under these schemes.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail].

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.