Social Worker | Kinship Permanence Support Team

Leicestershire County Council; Preston; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking a Social Worker for the Kinship Permanence Team in Preston. You will provide strengths-based, child-centred support to children in kinship arrangements, including SGOs and CAOs, while collaborating with families and friends who care for them.

The role offers a Social Work Academy induction, flexible/hybrid working options, supportive leadership, and a chance to contribute to a brand-new service focused on long-term stability and positive outcomes.

Job description

| Salary £37,563-£42,123 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Pro Rata

Social Worker - Kinship Permanence Team

Careers in Children's Services | Lancashire County Council

Help Shape a Brand-New Service

This is an exciting opportunity to join our newly established Kinship Permanence Team and play a key role in shaping the service from the very beginning.

As a Social Worker within the team, you will provide strengths-based, child-centred support to children and young people living in kinship arrangements, as well as to the family members and friends who care for them through:

• Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs)
• Child Arrangements Orders (CAOs)
• Other private law arrangements

We are seeking experienced, enthusiastic and reflective Social Workers who are passionate about building strong relationships, coordinating effective support, and helping kinship families achieve long-term stability and positive outcomes.

Why Lancashire?

Lancashire is a place we're incredibly proud of, and we're proud of the role Lancashire County Council plays in supporting our communities.

As the fourth largest local authority in England and the largest in the North, we serve over 1.2 million residents, delivering innovative and high-quality services that make a real difference to people's lives.

Working in Children's Services is both rewarding and challenging. We understand that to provide excellent services to children and families, practitioners need:

• Strong professional support
• A positive and reflective culture
• Opportunities to learn and develop
• A focus on wellbeing and work-life balance

At Lancashire, we're proud of our safe, healthy learning culture and the support available to all practitioners, particularly those joining our service.

Our Social Work Academy

All new recruits to Lancashire Children's Services benefit from our well-established Social Work Academy.

As one of the first local authorities to develop a dedicated Social Work Academy, our programme provides outstanding support during your first year and throughout your career.

The Academy includes:

• A comprehensive one-week induction programme
• Support and coaching from experienced Advanced Practitioners
• Ongoing learning and professional development opportunities
• Access to the latest evidence-informed and research-based practice
• Continuous support to help achieve the highest standards of social work practice

What We Offer

Professional Development

• Excellent training opportunities
• Clear routes for career progression
• Access to specialist learning and development programmes

Flexible Working

• Technology and equipment to support flexible and hybrid working
• The ability to work from home and local offices where appropriate

Supportive Leadership

• Managers who prioritise wellbeing
• Reflective supervision and supportive team cultures
• A strong commitment to staff development and success

Location

This is an Essential Car User post based centrally in Preston.

The role will involve travel across Lancashire and, where required, further afield to meet service needs.

Join Us and Make a Difference

If you're passionate about supporting children, young people and kinship families, and want to be part of a brand-new service with the opportunity to shape its future, we'd love to hear from you.

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013) . If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.

Job Description and Person Specification