Social Worker - Referral and Assessment (Richmond)

Achieving for Children; Richmond; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority children's service is seeking a dedicated Social Worker for Referral and Assessment in Richmond. This is a full-time permanent position with a salary range of £42,771 to £45,750. The role involves supporting children and families through comprehensive assessments, child protection investigations, and care planning. The organization champions staff development and well-being, offering a welcoming environment and a range of benefits, including a £3,000 welcome bonus. Interested candidates must hold a relevant Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England.

Benefits

£3,000 welcome bonus

29 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Local government pension scheme

Hybrid working opportunities

Protected professional development days

Responsibilities

• Undertake child protection investigations and safety planning.
• Hold complex and short-term Child in Need cases.
• Build respectful relationships with families and partner agencies.
• Write assessments and maintain accurate case records.
• Create child-focused care plans and ensure child's voice is captured.
• Participate in reflective supervision activities.

Skills

Effective communication

Resilience

Knowledge of statutory framework

Solution-focused approach

Understanding of inclusion and diversity

Education

Relevant Social Work qualification

Completion of ASYE

Active Social Work England registration

Job description

Social Worker - Referral and Assessment (Richmond)

We are offering a £3000 welcome bonus plus £3000 annual market supplement for this role!

We’re celebrating an OUTSTANDING Ofsted outcome across all areas – and now, we’re looking for Social Workers to join our teams!

Ofsted recognised that our leaders put support, well‑being, and development at the heart of our offer to the workforce, creating an environment where staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to grow. To find out more click .

If you're looking for a workplace that invests in you, champions excellence, and puts people first – this is your opportunity!

Join us and be part of our success!

Kingston team location: Guildhall 2, Kingston

Richmond team location: Civic Offices, Twickenham

About our Benefits

We are focused on creating a positive, supportive environment, where you will have access to a wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and the technology and equipment to enable hybrid working.

At AfC you will also have access to…

• a welcome payment and retention bonus for selected roles
• access to free parking at your main place of work
• 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after four years with bank holidays in addition
• local government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
• hybrid working, enabling you to work from home, office or the community, with access to the technology and equipment to support you
• working with a wide range of families from diverse backgrounds with different presenting issues
• travel assistance package for business use, including car and cycle mileage reimbursement, annual season ticket loan or business Oyster cards
• a minimum of 12 protected Development Days each year for all staff
• support and recognition from a stable senior leadership team with an open door culture
• managers who recognise complexity of cases and load, value hard work, provide reassurance, build confidence and facilitate career development and progression opportunities
• a huge range of additional professional development opportunities as part of our regional Social Work Teaching Partnership.

About you

• an effective communicator
• resilient worker, able to work effectively in a team or on your own, taking ownership and responsibility for the cases you are assigned
• confident and competent with relevant statutory and regulatory framework and have knowledge of an appropriate range of professional interventions
• evidence of championing inclusion and diversity whilst making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people
• solution focused person with the ability to deal with sensitive issues.

Operational area Kingston and Richmond Primary place of work Civic Offices, 44 York Street, TW1

Appointment type: Permanent

Business area: Children's Social Care

Full time / Part time: Full-time

Salary from £42,771 (SCP29) Salary to £45,750 (SCP32)

Hours: 36

Estimated Interview date / s: TBC

Closing Date: 11 / 01 / 2026

Ref No 1891 Documents PDF, 586.06kb

About the role

• Supporting children and young people by undertaking child protection investigation alongside safety and consistency planning
• Responsible for holding a mixture of cases including complex cases and short term Child in Need cases
• Building strong and respectful working relationships with families, their support network and our partner agencies
• Assessment writing, direct work with children and families, threshold application, home visits, direct work, care planning, chairing meetings and case recording in line with our policies and procedures
• Formulate care plans in partnership to create child focused plans and maintain case records capturing the young person's voice
• Complete short term work to meet needs and prevent long term involvement
• Actively taking part in reflective supervision and group supervision

Qualifications

• Relevant Social Work qualification
• Completion of ASYE
• Active Social Work England registration