Children\'s Social Worker

We currently have a vacancy in our Children in Care and Care Leavers team, Stafford. We are looking for a social worker to support our children who are not able to live with their families without the local authorities involvement. We welcome both experienced and newly qualified social workers to apply.

For newly qualified social workers, our ASYE programme has a great reputation because we’re committed to giving you the best start in your social work career by helping you develop your practice in a supported way!

Our ASYE programme – what you can expect

Staffordshire has a well-established ASYE programme that provides strong support and development opportunities for newly qualified social workers. We recognize that your first year of social work practice is about developing confidence, skills, and knowledge. We offer monthly bespoke training sessions with experienced social work educators. You’ll have a protected workload, individual assessors, and protected study leave to develop your practice portfolio, along with training opportunities to enhance your social work knowledge.

Feedback from social workers who have completed our ASYE programme includes:

‘I appreciated the protected workload, and individual support’.
‘There was recognition that I was learning whilst practising’.
‘I felt Staffordshire recognised that I needed time to develop and consolidate my social work style and practice.’
‘There’s lots of training and support from individual teams and managers.’

Main Responsibilities

Refer to the attached job description for detailed responsibilities. If you are in your first or second year, we will ensure you gain a broad range of experiences within your team.

Children in Care and Care Leavers Team

You will be:

• Working with children and their families from the point of the second child in care review or full care order being granted, until they are supported to return home safely or up to their 18th birthday.
• Carrying out key statutory duties supporting children in care to flourish.
• Supporting families to make positive changes for reunification and helping young people develop key life skills and positive relationships.

The Way We Work

We aim to improve the lives of children and young people through our Restorative Practice framework, which focuses on building and repairing relationships using a strength-based, partnership approach. Specific restorative practice training will be provided to embed this way of working.

The Ideal Candidate

You should:

• Have a good understanding of childhood experiences and support young people to overcome challenges.
• Be passionate about supporting families to care safely for their children.
• Be committed to developing young people\’s life skills through pathway planning and partnership working.

For newly qualified social workers, you need to:

• Expect to qualify within the next 9 months.
• Be registered or on track to register with Social Work England.
• Have a current UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

If you join before qualification, you will be paid £32,654 until you qualify, after which your salary will increase to £37,938.

Above all, you should have a desire to work with children and families to provide the right support at the right time, aiming to keep families together safely.

We are proud of our supportive team and achievements and invite you to become part of our team.

Closing Date: 26th May 2025
Interview Date: 6th June 2025

For more information, contact Rachel.harvey@staffordshire.gov.uk. Visit our website for more details about Staffordshire Children’s Services: Children & Families – Careers at Staffordshire.

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