Social Worker- First Response

Leicestershire County Council; Glenfield; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is recruiting for a qualified Social Worker to join the First Response Children’s Duty in County Hall. You will screen and assess information about children and families, consider safeguarding needs, and support Section 17/47 enquiries, working to tight timescales.

You’ll thrive in a pressure‑driven team, with strong multi‑agency collaboration, ongoing learning, flexible/hybrid working, and a clear path for professional development in a trauma‑informed culture.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with a Social Work degree or equivalent and registered with Social Work England.
• Extensive knowledge of social work legislation, policies and practice.
• Experience in multi‑agency working and safeguarding processes.
• Valid UK driving licence with access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Operate within the First Response Children’s Duty screening and assessment teams.
• Receive information about children and families, assess risk, safeguarding and need.
• Contribute to Section 17 and Section 47 enquiries and timely decision making.
• Work under pressure, individually and as part of a team, to tight timescales.

Skills

Social Work degree

CQSW

DipSW

Registered with Social Work England

Multi-agency working

IT skills

Communication

Time management

Driving licence

Education

Social Work degree or equivalent

CQSW

DipSW

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Database applications

Job description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: Level 2 Social Worker: £39,904- £43,741 per annum (inclusive of market premia at £3,283) (pro rata for part time) Level 3 Social Worker – £44,542- £47,392 per annum (inclusive of market premia at £3,283) (pro-rata for part-time)

Working Hours:37 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 22nd October 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

Come and be part of our Outstanding First Response Children’s Duty.

It’s an exciting time to be a part of Children and Family Services at Leicestershire County Council, our staff are at the heart of delivering excellent services to children and families across Leicestershire. Come and join us and make a difference in the lives of children and families in Leicestershire.

Our recent Ofsted inspection praised Leicestershire’s work to build “strong and long-lasting relationships” with children and families which lead to many families achieving “positive changes” in their lives. They highlighted an “ambitious and child-focused senior leadership that has successfully created a culture where the experiences and progress of children are at the heart of social work practice”.

About the Role

Our First Response Children’s Duty comprises of a screening and assessment team. The screening team is responsible for incoming information regarding children and families, considering support needs, safeguarding and assessing risk. The assessment team is responsible for Section 17, assessment of need across the county, as well as safeguarding Section 47 enquiries.

You will need to be adaptable, to work well under pressure both individually and as part of a team and work to tight timescales.

In Leicestershire, we have a fantastic package to provide our workers with a range of events throughout the year, recognition of our staff in annual Pride In Practice events, fantastic learning and training opportunities – enabling our staff to develop and progress within their roles and committed wellbeing support.

We are proud of our continuous improvement plan -‘Achieving Excellence through Purposeful Practice which sets out our key values, behaviours and ambitions. We have embedded the Signs of Safety approach throughout our services and this approach mirrors our values of Aspiration,Being CuriousandCollaboration. We are focused on working with families and the networks of family, friends and professionals around children, to work in collaboration to achieve shared goals.

We are committed to our vision of becoming a trauma-informed responsive department where we believe we arestronger together. Our culture is one of partnership, where we look for solutions and recognise the potential impact of trauma on the children and families we work with and on our staff. We will strive to create a safe, compassionate, healing environment demonstrated through relationships based on trust, respect, hope and empathy. We will achieve this through a spirit of curiosity, by nurturing connections through relationships, making a deliberate effort to know and understand people, and by providing hope for growth and recovery.

A DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

About You

Please ensure your application includes a full career history and provides reasons for any gaps

• Be a qualified Social Worker holding a Social Work degree or equivalent, e.g., CQSW, DipSW (with specialism in children’s services) and be registered with Social Work England.
• Extensive knowledge and application of social work legislation, methodologies, social care policies, guidance, procedures and case reviews with a commitment to your continuous professional development.
• Have ability and experience of supporting with service performance and the learning and development of individuals as well as a team.
• Have experience and understand the importance of multi-agency working and the differing roles, responsibilities, remit and functions of other parts of the wider service and agencies.
• The ability to communicate clearly and accurately, both orally and in writing, with a wide range of people, including representatives from other agencies, using skills of negotiation and persuasion. Have good IT skills, including Microsoft Outlook and Word, and database applications.
• Excellent demonstration of the ability to prioritise effectively across a wide range of competing demands to meet deadlines. Time management skills and the ability to respond flexibly to changing requirements.
• You must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence (or be able to convert your current licence) AND have access to a vehicle.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability.We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Thomas Mpambo - Team Manager

Email - [e-mail]

Helen Harrigan - Team Manager

Email - [e-mail]

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.