Social Worker (Derbyshire’s Leaving Care Service)

Derbyshire County Council; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous annual leave

Flexi-time scheme

Travel expenses

Discount on leisure centre memberships

Free car parking at most sites

In-house counselling service

Occupational health service

Access to physiotherapist sessions

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Derbyshire County Council is seeking a Leaving Care Social Worker (Grade 9–11) for the Leaving Care Service in Ilkeston. The role supports transitions to adulthood within a trauma-informed, relationship-based culture, with a focus on delivering good outcomes for children and families.

The post offers progression opportunities, ASYE support, and a broad range of development opportunities within a supportive team environment.

Qualifications

• BA Honours in Social Work and current Social Work England registration.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a person-centred approach to building rapport with children and families.
• Ability to reflect on own practice enabling flexible, thoughtful social work.
• Experience of relationship-focused social work.

Responsibilities

• Provide a quality social work service that supports children to achieve their potential.
• Effectively manage a number of young people to achieve the best outcomes for them.
• Work in partnership with individuals to build and sustain relationships, identify needs, and develop plans and responses.
• Collaborate with care leavers, partners and locality social work teams for futures planning.
• Develop and embed aspirational planning and transitions support for care leavers within the service.
• Support leaving care workers with understanding of social work practices, systems and models.
• Represent the service locally and regionally.

Skills

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Person-centred approach

Reflective practice

Education

BA Honours in Social Work

Job description

Closing date: 04 October 2026

Leaving Care Social Worker Post (Grade 9 - 11) Full Time position

This role is a full-time social worker post based within the Derbyshire’s Leaving Care Service. This enables excellent transitions to adulthood and excellent working relationships. The post is based in Ilkeston, in a thriving young person hub/office space. Embedded within the team and service is a trauma informed, relationship-based culture with high support, expectations and outcomes for our children. We support newly qualified social workers to progress in their career through supportive frameworks and excellent progression opportunities. We work hard to ensure that our social workers have the time and resources to deliver good outcomes for children and families. Our vision means working creatively to inspire and empower children, young people, and their families to be the best they can be.

What will you be doing?

• Provide a quality social work service that supports children to achieve their potential.
• Effectively manage a number of young people to achieve the best outcomes for them.
• Working in partnership with individuals build and sustain relationships, identify needs, and develop plans and responses that meet those needs.
• Work closely with our care leavers, our partners and locality social work teams with an aspirational approach for young people’s futures.
• Develop and embed a thorough knowledge of aspirational planning and transitions support for care leavers within the service.
• Support leaving care workers with an understanding of social work practices, systems, knowledge and practice models.
• Represent the service locally and regionally.

What skills and experience do you need?

• BA Honours in Social Work and current Social Work England registration (refer to job and person profile for more information).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a person-centred approach to building a rapport and relationships with children and families.
• Ability to reflect on own practice and development enabling flexible and thoughtful social work practice and positive change.
• Experience of relationship focused social work.

We believe that hard work and commitment to your role should be rewarded, so we offer a package to our social workers that will ensure you always feel supported and valued:

• manageable case loads
• diverse range of cases providing an exciting, challenging and rewarding career
• effective leadership and management which helps to reduce risk for our social workers and the children and families they support
• excellent supervision and a supportive peer network
• accelerated pay progression opportunities for frontline social workers following their ASYE
• systemic training equivalent to a foundation level Post Graduate Certificate
• access to an excellent range of training and development opportunities, worth over £5000, including leadership and management development
• Corporate membership with Research in Practice - allowing access to reputable, evidence-based research, training, and resources
• fantastic opportunities to undertake further formal qualifications and career progression through our career pathways
• DBS check undertaken and paid for by us
• Social Work England registration fee reimbursed

For more information on Children and Family services and becoming a social worker in Derbyshire please visit https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/social-health/children-and-families/social-worker-recruitment/be-a-social-worker-for-derbyshire.aspx

If you would like to talk to someone informally about this post, please contact Team Manager, Leanne Christian [e-mail]

What benefits do we offer you?

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• generous annual leave and flexi-time scheme
• travel expenses
• discount on leisure centre memberships
• free car parking at most sites
• an in-house counselling service
• occupational health service
• access to sessions with a trained physiotherapist
• cycle to work scheme

Provisional Interview Date : 09.10.2026