Social Worker Assessment Team

Hoople; Hereford; Hybrid; GBP 5,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in Hereford is seeking an experienced Social Worker to work within the Assessment Team. The role involves handling complex cases directly with children and families, ensuring timely responses to referrals. Candidates must hold relevant qualifications and have at least 2 years of experience in statutory social care. This permanent position offers a competitive salary of HC8 £36,363 - £40,777, relocation packages, and generous benefits including a £10,000 welcome payment.

Benefits

Generous holiday entitlement

Relocation package up to £10,000

Professional development support

Flexible working options

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in statutory social care.
• Fully qualified social worker with required certifications.
• Dedication to improving the lives of children and families.

Responsibilities

• Carry out assessments and investigate concerns.
• Respond to referrals in a child-focused manner.
• Work directly with children and families.

Skills

Assessment skills

Report writing

Complex case management

Education

DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent

Job description

Overview

About The Role

Job Title: Social Worker Assessment Team

Hours: 37 per week

Salary: HC8 £36,363 - £40,777 (plus £5,000 market rate supplement per year £41,363 - £45,777)

Welcome payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)

Relocation package: up to £10,000 available

Contract: permanent

Location: Multiple locations. Ross-on-Wye, Leominster and Hereford

Closing date: 12/10/2025

Come and join us on our Restorative Journey of Improvement to gain the best for children and families in Herefordshire.

The Role

We are looking for experienced Social Workers to help us on our improvement journey. Come and join us on our Restorative Journey of Improvement to gain the best for children and families in Herefordshire.

Working within the Assessment Team, you will work directly with children and families, alongside other staff within the Directorate and partner agencies. Ensuring referrals are responded to in a child focused and timely way, you will carry out assessments and investigate concerns so that a decision can be made regarding the most appropriate support for the child and family.

You will be fully qualified (DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent), with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in statutory social care. With honed skills in assessment, report writing, and managing a complex caseload, you will be dedicated to improving the lives of children and families within Herefordshire.

Herefordshire is on a journey and we would like you to be part of our next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity to have a genuine impact on the local authority and help improve and protect the children and young people within it.

Curious about what it’s really like to be a Social Worker with us? Want to know what it really feels like to work with our passionate and dedicated Social Work teams? This short video gives you a glimpse into the heart of our service and shows why Herefordshire Council could be the perfect place for your next career move. The video link is provided in the original posting.

We Offer

A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Social Worker starting Salary: HC8 £36,363 - £40,777 per annum
• Market rate supplement: plus £5,000 per year
• Welcome payment £10,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams (see attached guidance)
• Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
• Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
• Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers.
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress to senior social worker level
• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
• Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more: Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-28

About Us

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns.

Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People. We do this by having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it’s an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be.

Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole. We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond.

Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment. Come to Herefordshire and join the journey.

Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.

We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered.

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme;
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, or their families. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant;
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.

To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.

Please note: the council is currently unable to offer overseas visa sponsorship for Social Worker roles in Children & Young People. Overseas prospective candidates that require sponsorship to work in the UK should not apply for these roles. We appreciate your interest in Herefordshire Council and would encourage you to consider other opportunities with us that may be open to sponsorship. A full list of current vacancies can be found here: spiritofherefordshire.com/children-young-people/jobs/