Social Worker - Leaving Care Team

Cambridgeshire County Council; Huntingdon; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing package

Protected CPD time (6 days)

Relocation package

Pay progression scheme

Retention payments up to £8,392

Refer a Friend £350

Cambridgeshire Academy for ReachingEx­

Job summary

Cambridgeshire County Council is seeking a Social Worker to join the Leaving Care Team supporting care-experienced young people aged 16–18 as they move toward independence, safety and stable accommodation.

You will develop and review Pathway Plans, conduct risk assessments, and work with schools, health, housing, and Adult Social Care to coordinate a joined-up service.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with Social Work England registration.
• Experience in Leaving Care or work with care-experienced young people is desirable.
• Ability to work across multiple services including health, housing and education.

Responsibilities

• Develop and review Pathway Plans grounded in each young person’s strengths and needs.
• Lead robust risk assessment and risk management to safeguard young people.
• Coordinate transitions from Children’s Services to Adult Services where eligible.
• Work with schools, health professionals, housing services and other agencies to provide joined-up support.
• Maintain clear case records and contribute to duty system to support colleagues.

Skills

Trauma-informed practice

Strengths-based practice

Relationship-based practice

Risk assessment

Collaboration with agencies

Education

Qualified Social Worker (Social Work England registered)

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Huntingdon or Ely, Cambridgeshire

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• 6 days of protected time each year to support in maintaining your Continuous Professional Development
• A relocation package (eligibility applies)
• A pay progression scheme to enable you to accelerate through the pay grade as you gain experience and skills
• Scalable retention payments of up to £8,392 over a 3 year period, starting after your first full year of employment
• ARefer a Friend Schemewhere if you refer another Social Worker to us who is subsequently employed by us as a result of that introduction, we’ll pay you an introduction fee of £350
• Access to our Cambridgeshire Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE) who will support your development, enabling you to become the best practitioner you can be

For more information and to see our other benefits, take a look at the benefits brochure attached to this advert.

About the role

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for young people, skilled in trauma‑informed and strengths‑based practice, and confident supporting adolescents through what can be a challenging and transformative stage of life?

We’re seeking an exceptional Social Worker to join our Leaving Care Team - professionals who are committed to supporting care‑experienced young people aged 16–18 as they begin their journey toward independence.

As a Social Worker in our team, you will provide skilled, relationship-based support to help young people prepare for adulthood, whilst ensuring their safety, wellbeing, and access to the services they need, like suitable accommodation, education, employment, and training opportunities. You will take the lead in developing and reviewing high‑quality Pathway Plans underpinned by thorough assessments, clear goals and shaped around each young person’s aspirations, needs, strengths, and independence goal.

A core part of this role is undertaking robust risk assessment and risk management, recognising and responding to the vulnerabilities that can emerge during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. You will work alongside young people and partner agencies to identify risks, build protective factors, promote resilience, and ensure young people are supported through key life transitions.

You will also utilise contextual safeguarding principles, considering the influence of peer groups, communities, education settings, online spaces, and wider networks on a young person's safety and wellbeing. Using professional curiosity and evidence-informed practice, you will assess emerging risks, respond to changing circumstances, and make confident decisions that balance empowerment, independence, and safety.

You will work collaboratively with schools, colleges, health professionals, housing services, and other agencies to create a consistent and joined-up approach that supports the young person holistically.

The role is varied and dynamic, requiring you to use your professional judgement to assess and manage risk, respond to emerging needs, and advocate for young people as they navigate key transitions. You will be a consistent presence in their lives, meeting them where they are and building trusting, supportive, and stable relationships. You will offer encouragement and help them develop the practical, emotional, and social skills they need for a successful transition to adulthood.

If you have the skills, resilience, and dedication to support 16–18-year-olds as they take these important steps toward independence, we invite you to apply for this rewarding and impactful opportunity.

The role can be based at Scott House in Huntingdon or Noble House in Ely.

Closing date 4 October 2026. Interviews will be held in person the week commencing 12 October 2026. There will be a written assessment as well as a panel interview.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

What will you be doing?

As a Social Worker within our Leaving Care Team, you will play a pivotal role in supporting young people aged 16–18 as they prepare for adulthood. You will undertake comprehensive assessments and take the lead on developing, reviewing, and coordinating Pathway Plans that are forward-looking, aspirational, and firmly grounded in each young person’s individual strengths and needs.

A key part of your role will be to champion effective transitions work. You will ensure that young people experience a smooth and well-supported transition from Children’s Services into Adult Services where eligible, building strong working relationships with Adult Social Care teams, health services, education providers, housing partners, and community organisations. Your focus will be on creating a seamless, coordinated approach that removes barriers, anticipates needs early, and supports each young person to move confidently along their pathway to independence.

You will maintain consistent and meaningful contact with the young people you support—helping them understand their options, navigate key decisions, and access the full range of support available through our Local Offer for Care Leavers. Your case recording will be accurate, timely, and reflective of high‑quality social work practice, ensuring clarity of planning and decision-making across all agencies involved.

Alongside your allocated casework, you will contribute to the team’s duty system, providing advice, guidance, and immediate support to young people who require assistance on the day. Your relational approach, professional curiosity, and commitment to collaborative practice will be central to achieving positive long-term outcomes for the young people you work with.

About you

We're looking for confident and dynamic individuals who enjoy making a difference in their local community, are curious and spot things that others might not see, enjoy building relationships and likes to explore possibilities.

You must:

• Be a qualified Social Worker with a Social Work England registration
• Have the ability to work from a variety of locations and travel countywide, and out of county, independently

For a full list of the requirements of the role, please check out the Job Description & Person Specification.

Please note we are not accepting applications from candidates living overseas who require sponsorship to move to the UK

About us

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.

Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do.

We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities. If you don’t meet every single requirement in the job role but think this could be you, please don’t be put off. We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager, whose details can be found in the advert, to discuss any adjustment needs. Through a Guaranteed Interview Scheme, we will offer an interview to all applicants who disclose a disability and meet the essential criteria for a job vacancy. On your application form you can indicate you are disabled. Some examples of reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process could include additional time to complete an assessment or printing a document on pastel coloured paper with larger font size and line spacing. We would value talking about what might be possible to enable you to join us and thrive, so if there is something that would help you to do your best during your journey with us, please get in touch.

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