Social Worker - Fixed term Until 31/08/2026

Warrington Borough Council; Warrington; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Warrington Borough Council is seeking a dedicated Social Worker for a fixed-term maternity cover role. You will support children in care, ensuring their needs are met while advocating for their best interests. A range of employee benefits and a supportive environment are provided to enable workers to thrive.

Benefits

26 days annual holiday rising to 31 after 5 years

Access to an attractive benefits package

Health & Wellbeing Programme

Qualifications

• Passion for working with children is essential.
• Empathy and emotional intelligence are crucial.
• A driving licence is required.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with children, fostering strong relationships.
• Assess children's needs and mitigate risks.
• Develop comprehensive care plans to support children's goals.

Skills

Empathy

Emotional intelligence

Resilience

Passion for working with children

Job description

Social Worker - Fixed term Until 31/08/2026

About us

We are recruiting to a 12-month fixed term maternity cover post to join ourChildren in Care & Care Leavers Service. Both experienced practitioners or newly qualified social workers are most welcome to apply, as we have a very strong ASYE Programme in place.

We have three Children in Care teams, and a Care Experienced Team for our Care Leaverseach team has a Team Manager who is eager to support and develop all social workers alongside the Senior Practitioner. Our teams support children and young people who are subject to care orders and for whom we share PR who live within foster placements, residential care and with members of their extended family. We recognise that the role can be challenging, and we have a range of exciting and impactful developments in Warrington that our social workers can utilise in supporting families.

In Warrington we want all children and families to benefit from high quality and purposeful relationships with professionals. We believe this will help create the best opportunities for people to change and reach their full potential. We also believe one of the most effective ways to improve the outcomes for children and families is through providing our social workers with the best conditions in which they can thrive.

The role

You would be the social worker for several children who are subject to Care Orders or Supervision Orders. This role involves you working directly with children, building positive strong relationships with them, their carers and members of their family, ensuring that their voice is heard and advocating on their behalf. You will be assessing the needs of children in care and assessing any risks posed to them and how these risks can be reduced or mitigated.

You will be responsible for developing children's care plans and ensuring they are robust, achievable and enable the child to progress and achieve positive outcomes in all areas of their life including their health, education and independence.

Your priority for children will be achieving permanence in whatever form this may take including long term foster care, special guardianship, adoption and working with families to achieve rehabilitation home.

You will become embedded into our systemic practice model and have access to a dedicated systemic hub which provides advice and support as well as space to think, reflect and see your dilemma through a systemic lens.

Your working hours are 37 per week with the opportunity to work flexibly.

What's needed?

What is needed for this role is:

Passion for working with children

Empathy and Understanding

Emotional intelligence and resilience

Driving licence

As well as a competitive salary, working for us means you get:

• 26 days annual holiday - raising to 31 after 5 years of service (pro-rata)
• Access to our attractive and competitive benefits package
• Access to our Health & Wellbeing Programme

Key Dates & Further Information

Please contact Fiona Morris, Team Manager on 01925 443056 if you would like an informal chat to discuss the position.

Closing date for the application is the 25th July 2025.

Interviews will be held on the 30th July 2025. This will consist of a formal interview and written piece.

The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

In accordance withHome Office guidance, successful candidates mustevidencetheir right to work in the UK before commencement of ? employment. Sponsorship is not available for this role; therefore, you must have the right to work in the UK to be eligible for appointment.

DBS clearance is required.

Warrington Borough Council is a Disability Confident employer

Warrington Borough Council Offices, 1 Time Square, Warrington, WA1 2NT