Social Worker-Returning to Social Work

Leicestershire County Council; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is looking for a social work assistant to support individuals returning to social work practice. This permanent role includes assistance with registration and continuous professional development. Candidates must have a social work degree and a valid UK driving license. Competitive salary with hybrid working options offered as part of the role.

Benefits

Monthly reflective supervision

Access to a range of training and development opportunities

Support from Practice Excellence Team

Qualifications

• Experience in social work practice working with children and families.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and social work methods.
• Ability to communicate clearly and flexibly adapt.

Responsibilities

• Support candidates in returning to social work through structured plans.
• Manage casework with children and families upon restoration.
• Engage in regular reflective supervision with management.

Skills

Interpersonal and communication skills

Ability to analyze information

Time management skills

Education

Social work qualification (degree or equivalent)

Tools

Full, valid UK driving license

Job description

Organisation

Leicestershire County Council

Work Location

Various locations across Leicestershire

Worker Category

Hybrid Worker/Field-Based Worker

Salary

£32,070 - £34,359 per annum (pro-rata for part-time) whilst working as a SW Assistant and until restoration is complete, increasing to £35,451 - £42,699 per annum (pro rata for part-time) plus Market Premium of £3,283 (pro rata for part-time) once fully registered.

Working Hours

37 hours per week

Contract Type

Permanent

Closing Date

12th October 2025

Interview Date(s)

4th November 2025

About the Role

Are you returning to social work practice? We offer support throughout the process of restoration to support you to re-register and return to the profession, with a permanent social work role upon completion of your registration and restoration.

About you

To apply for this post, you must respond to and evidence the following 7 essential criteria within your personal statement. This should be no more than 1,000 words.

PLEASE NOTE that previous applicants need not re-apply as all prior submissions have been reviewed.

• A Social work qualification (degree or equivalent) and have previously been registered with Social Work England with a break of two years or more.
• Experience in social work practice working with children and families.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, child-care legislation and social work practice, Knowledge of social work methods and models.
• You must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence (or be able to convert your current licence) AND have access to a vehicle.
• Ability to communicate clearly, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to analyse information to reach a decision.
• Ability to manage your time and prioritise tasks, with the ability to respond flexibly to changing requirements.

Please ensure your application includes a full career history and provides reasons for any gaps.

A DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity is required for this post.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and will ask you to provide evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process.

What we offer and how the return to practice works

• Through our return to social work program, we will: Employ you as a social work assistant in a fixed-term contract whilst you gain the necessary experience needed for your restoration. Before you start your role with us, you will meet with our Practice Excellence Team to develop a structured and tailored plan to help update your experience in the areas that you require. During the period of updating your skills, you will be supported by an experienced social worker and supervisor.
• Once you have completed updating your skills, we will support you with your restoration and registration fee with Social Work England.
• Once re-registered, you will be offered a permanent contract as a Level 2 social worker at grade 10 (starting at £35,451 plus market premia of £3,283).
• We want your return to social work to be successful, and we want to support you in developing your existing skills and strengths. You will be part of an established social work team where you can develop your skills through training, conferences, events and from your colleagues.
• You will receive monthly reflective supervision with your manager and access to regular group reflective supervision.
• You will have access to a wide range of training to support your development. You will also have access to the support of the Practice Excellence Team for 1:1 support, mentoring and development alongside tailored support.
• Leicestershire’s practice model is Signs of Safety, which is focused on working in collaboration with families and professionals, following our values of being aspirational, being curious and working in collaboration. Leicestershire is also committed to being a trauma informed organisation, recognising the impact of trauma for children and families, alongside staff.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Adam Tyler – Service Manager

Tel. [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

How to Apply

Leicestershire County Council is an inclusive organisation which is on a journey to embed and celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion at every level. We warmly welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, as having a diverse workforce with different perspectives and ideas is fundamental to our values and enriches the services we offer our communities. We particularly welcome applicants from Ethnically Diverse and LGBTQ+ communities and people with disabilities to create a balanced workforce and one that reflects the communities we serve. Applicants with a disability who meet the criteria listed in the 'About You' section above will be offered an interview under the Disability Confident Employer Scheme.

To apply for this job, please click on 'Apply Now'. You will need to upload a supporting statement as part of your application, which explains how you meet the criteria listed in the 'About You' section above. For more information, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.