Social Worker/Senior Social Worker

North East Combined Authority; Tees Valley; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance up to £8,000

15% salary supplement (reviewed 2027)

Job summary

North East Combined Authority is recruiting social workers to join Middlesbrough Children’s Services, delivering child-centred practice and improving outcomes for children and families. You may be assigned to multiple teams, including Assessment, Safeguarding and Care Planning, and ASPIRE, with opportunities to influence service design.

Relocation support up to £8,000 is available for eligible candidates, plus a 15% supplement to salaries (reviewed March 2027). Sponsorships are not offered.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated track record of delivering high-quality, child-centred practice.
• Drive for continuous improvement and innovation in services.
• Ability to thrive in complex environments and embrace positive change.

Responsibilities

• Undertake assessments and work with children and families as part of statutory and safeguarding processes.
• Contribute to teams including Assessment, Safeguarding and Care Planning, and ASPIRE to support vulnerable children.
• Support looked after children and those at risk, providing direct practice and inter-agency collaboration.

Skills

Child-centred practice

Continuous improvement

Thriving in complex environments

Commitment to Middlesbrough children

Job description

Join Our Team and Make a Real Difference

Are you a fabulous social worker with a passion for child-centred practice and improving outcomes for children and their families?

We're excited to be recruiting social workers into a number of our teams and are particularly keen to hear from anyone who wants to be part of shaping services and making a meaningful difference for our children and young people in Middlesbrough.

We're looking for individuals who:

• Have a track record of delivering high-quality, child-centred practice
• Are driven by continuous improvement and innovation
• Thrive in complex environments and embrace positive change
• Believe in Middlesbrough children

The Teams in Middlesbrough Children's Services include:

• Assessment Team – Undertaking statutory assessments, child and family assessments, and progressing cases requiring intervention and support.
• Safeguarding and Care Planning Team – Working with children subject to Child Protection Plans, Children in Need Plans and Public Law Outline processes, undertaking long-term planning and intervention.
• Children with Disabilities Team – Providing specialist support and assessment to children and young people with disabilities and their families, ensuring their needs are appropriately identified and met.
• ASPIRE (Exploitation Service) – Working with children and young people who are at risk of, or experiencing, exploitation, including child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation, missing episodes and contextual safeguarding concerns (reduced caseload of 6 - 10 children).
• Fostering Service – Supporting foster carers, undertaking fostering assessments, supervision and reviews, and promoting stability and positive outcomes for children in foster care.
• MACH (Multi-Agency Children's Hub) – The front door to Children's Services, receiving and screening contacts, undertaking threshold decisions, information gathering and triage in partnership with multi-agency colleagues.
• Children in Our Care – Supporting children and young people who are looked after by the Local Authority, ensuring effective care planning, permanency planning and positive life outcomes.
• Families Together (Edge of Care Service) – Providing intensive support and intervention to children, young people and their families to safely prevent family breakdown, reduce risks and avoid the need for children to enter care.

Please specify in your application which team you would like to be considered for.

If you are considering relocating to join our team, you may be eligible for a relocation package of up to £8,000 towards removal and relocation costs. Support is available for successful candidates who currently live more than 50 miles from Middlesbrough and who relocate to within a 20-mile radius of Middlesbrough, subject to meeting the organisation's relocation policy and eligibility criteria.

In return, you'll join a supportive and forward-thinking team where your practice, ideas, and ambition will be valued. Together, we'll continue to build services that deliver excellence, improve lives, and make a lasting difference.

If you're ready to take the next step in your social work career and be part of something truly meaningful, we'd love to hear from you.

To help us recruit social workers who are committed to working in Middlesbrough we are currently offering a 15% supplement to social work salaries. This additional 15% will be reviewed at the end of March 2027.

Please note Middlesbrough Council do not currently offer sponsorships.

We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

The above post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.