Senior Social Worker – Children in Care

Liquid Personnel; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 43,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free DBS

Faster Pay

Exclusive roles

CPD portal

Dedicated consultant

Refer a Friend bonus

Find your own job bonus

Job summary

Liquid Personnel is seeking a passionate, child-centred Social Worker to join the Connecting Families team in Durham. The role focuses on high-quality reunification for children (0–18) subject to Section 31 Care Orders, ensuring the child’s voice is central throughout planning.

Responsibilities include reunification work, relationship-based practice, direct work with young people, and collaboration with partners to build sustainable support.

Qualifications

• Social Work England registration and a recognized social work qualification (CQSW, DipSW, or Degree).
• ASYE Completion: Completion of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) is essential.
• Core Skills: Ability to build strong relationships, communicate effectively in complex situations, and produce high-quality reflective assessments.
• Practice Knowledge:Familiarity with trauma-informed practice and the Signs of Safety framework is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Reunification Practice: Support families to create the right conditions for children to safely return home, ensuring the child’s voice remains at the centre of all planning.
• Relationship-Based Practice: Utilize trauma-informed approaches and the Signs of Safety framework to shape interventions and support networks.
• Direct Work: Spend meaningful time with children and young people to help them make sense of their experiences and ensure their views guide your work.
• Partnership Working: Collaborate closely with partners such as Family Group Conferencing, Supporting Solutions, and Early Help to build sustainable support systems.
• Court & Exit Planning: Create clear exit plans and contribute to positive court applications for the discharge of Care Orders.
• Reporting: Write clear, reflective assessments and maintain accurate, up-to-date records in line with service standards.

Skills

Relationship-building

Communication

Reflective practice

Education

CQSW / DipSW / Degree in Social Work

Job description

Our client, rated Outstanding by Ofsted (March 2025), is seeking a passionate, child‑centred Social Worker to join the specialist Connecting Families team in Durham. This role focuses on high-quality reunification, supporting children and young people (0–18) subject to Section 31 Care Orders to safely return to and remain with their families.

What will your responsibilities be?

• Reunification Practice:Support families to create the right conditions for children to safely return home, ensuring the child’s voice remains at the centre of all planning.


• Relationship-Based Practice:Utilize trauma-informed approaches and theSigns of Safetyframework to shape interventions and support networks.


• Direct Work: Spend meaningful time with children and young people to help them make sense of their experiences and ensure their views guide your work.


• Partnership Working:Collaborate closely with partners such as Family Group Conferencing, Supporting Solutions, and Early Help to build sustainable support systems.


• Court & Exit Planning:Create clear exit plans and contribute to positive court applications for the discharge of Care Orders.


• Reporting:Write clear, reflective assessments and maintain accurate, up-to-date records in line with service standards.

Benefits:

• Outstanding Culture:Recognized by Ofsted for ambitious leadership and a strong practice culture where social workers feel a sense of belonging.


• Development:Benefit from a personalized induction, regular supervision, mentoring, and extensive training opportunities.


• Nurturing Team:Work within a small, supportive, and nurturing environment dedicated to best-practice reunification.

Flexibility and Attendance:

• Hybrid Working:Support for a healthy work-life balance through flexible and hybrid working arrangements.


• Office Presence: A minimum of two days per week in the office is required, based at the Seaham Spectrum Office.


• Equality and Safeguarding: Durham is committed to achieving equal opportunities and protecting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Qualifications & Experience:

To be successful in this role you must have:

• Social Work England registrationand a recognized social work qualification (CQSW, DipSW, or Degree).


• ASYE Completion:Completion of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) is essential.


• Core Skills:Ability to build strong relationships, communicate effectively in complex situations, and produce high-quality reflective assessments.


• Practice Knowledge:Familiarity with trauma-informed practice and the Signs of Safety framework is highly desirable.

Why Liquid Personnel?

• Free DBS and compliance service


• Twice weekly payroll and ‘Faster Pay’ service, getting you paid more quickly


• Access to exclusive roles that aren’t available from other agencies


• Free access to Liquid’s exclusive social work training and CPD portal


• Your own dedicated consultant with extensive social work knowledge


• Access to a wide selection of social work positions across the UK


• “Refer a Friend” bonus – get £500 for each social worker you refer who we successfully place*


• \"Find your own job\" bonus – get £250 for bringing your own position to us *

Liquid Personnel is an equal opportunities employer. Liquid Personnel Ltd is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. * Terms and conditions apply to our bonus schemes.

Reasonable Adjustments:

If you consider yourself to have a disability or require any reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process or within the workplace, please highlight this at the earliest opportunity by contacting our team. With this information, we will provide appropriate support to you throughout the process and into your work placement.

We are unable to support or accept applications from candidates who are residents within the Red or Amber list of the Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Workforce Support and Safeguard List.

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