Social Worker (Fostering Team)

Northumberland County Council; Morpeth; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension scheme

Flexi leave

Career progression

Supervision

Job summary

Northumberland County Council is seeking a qualified social worker to join the Fostering Team in Morpeth. You will recruit, assess, supervise and support foster carers and placements, ensuring high standards and thorough documentation.

You will work within a dynamic Family Placement Service, participate in duty rotas, and collaborate with partners to advocate for the child's voice and best outcomes.

Qualifications

• Must hold a relevant Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England.
• Minimum of two years post-qualifying experience in statutory social work.
• Experience working in a multi-disciplinary environment.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, assess, supervise, train and support foster carers and placements.
• Provide quality, professional services with supervision and documentation.
• Contribute to duty rota and respond to placement needs.
• Be part of the Family Placement Service and collaborate with partners.
• Ensure the voice of the child is considered and supported by the team.

Education

Social Work Degree

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth

Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth

Closing Date:

25/10/2026

Job Category:

Region / Division:

UK Region

Directorate:

Job introduction

Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities’, for current and future generations. We believe there is no better place to live and work.

At Northumberland County Council we are proud of our employees, who are passionate and committed to improving outcomes for our children and young people, ensuring that they feel safe, healthy, happy and ready to learn and achieve.

We place children and young people at the heart of all we do and aim to provide a quality service to ensure that children in care get the best possible outcomes. Children thrive in stable and loving families. Sometimes birth parents are unable to care for their children themselves. Getting the best possible care for these children is one of our most important corporate parent responsibilities.

An opportunity has risen for a qualified social worker to join the Fostering Team. We are looking for an experienced social worker with a minimum of two years post qualifying experience in statutory social work.

What you’ll be doing:

• You will be responsible for recruiting, assessing, supervising, training and supporting foster carers and their placements.
• Your primary responsibility will be providing quality and professional services by supervising and supporting foster carers, their placements and completing necessary documentation.
• You will be involved in the duty rota with the expectations of this including, for example, supporting foster carers, colleagues in the social work locality teams and responding to placement needs.
• You will be part of a creative, enthusiastic and dynamic Family Placement Service.
• You will work with other partners and stakeholders to make sure the voice of the child is taken into consideration. As a Service, we will provide you with excellent support and supervision together with genuine opportunities for personal development.
  

What you’ll bring:

• You must hold a relevant Social Work qualification such as the Social Work Degree and be registered with Social Work England. You should also have a minimum of two years post qualifying experience.
• You will have a sound knowledge base and be able to make decisions and plans with children and their families utilising different theoretical models including the Signs of Safety approach.
• You will have experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment
• You will be passionate about maximising a child’s life chances to improve their overall outcomes
• You will understand the importance of performance information and your contribution to maintaining high standards.

For further information about this vacancy, please contact Karen Hulme– Team Manager on01670 626262 for an informal chat.

Why choose us?

We have some outstanding benefits and perks to offer you, including:

• A competitive salary of £41,177 - £45,529 (full time salary quoted, dependent on hours worked and experience)
• 26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexi scheme (if applicable) – up to 2 days flexible leave available per month (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Regular supervision
• Career progression opportunities
• A generous remuneration package
• Induction, support and mentoring from day one in post

Stay connected with us on social media to keep up to date with Northumberland County Council’s latest job opportunities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.

For further information about working for NCC, please visit our website here .