First Assessment Social Worker Children in Bristol

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details:

• Job reference: VAC008624
• Date posted: 28/07/2026
• Application closing date: 09/08/2026
• Location: City Hall College Green City Centre Bristol BS1 5TR
• Salary: BG12: £42,839 - £46,142 pro rata
• Contractual hours: 22
• Basis: Part time
• Job category/type: Social Care

Part Time - 22hrs per week, Fixed Term until 29th January 2027. Children's Social Worker required, fixed term and part time at First Assessment Service. 22 hrs a week Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, fixed term until 29.1.2027. Post is primarily office based at City Hall.

For internal applicants, this post will be considered on a secondment basis with an opportunity to see what a duty team do, who complete rapid, quick, duty assessments. You must be Social Work qualified and have social work registration with Social Work England.

Social Workers in the First Assessment Service conduct rapid assessments, manage short-term caseloads, and coordinate multi-agency support for children and families. It’s the Social Workers role to determine the correct pathway for the child and their families. Equity, inclusion, culture and diversity are fundamental values within the team and within the First Assessment Service, as we are a diverse service, representing a diverse city.

Overview of the Role:

The First Assessment Service (FAS) acts as the front door to Children's Services in Bristol, providing support ranging from advice and family help to child safeguarding interventions. Social workers in this service are part of a citywide rapid Duty and Assessment team, handling a small caseload for a maximum of four weeks.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct rapid, high-quality assessments to determine the appropriate pathway for children and families, including Single Assessment Framework (SAF) assessments.
• Manage a mix of duty work and assessment time, ensuring timely and accurate information is gathered and shared with receiving teams.
• Prepare summaries, genograms, chronologies, and mapping to support decision-making and prevent families from repeating information.
• Work collaboratively with multi-agency partners including health, education, police, housing, probation, and voluntary sector organizations.
• Apply strengths-based and relationship-focused systemic practice, often using the Signs of Safety methodology.
• Build rapport quickly with children, families, and professionals while maintaining high standards of written work and IT competency.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Qualified Social Worker with relevant registration.
• Experience in initial assessments, safeguarding, and child protection.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-turnover environment while maintaining professional standards.
• Knowledge of support services available to children and families and multi-agency working.

The current team are experienced and well supported by an experienced and stable management team and an effective working environment. The work is interesting and challenging, but effective working relationships both within the team and the wider children’s services ensure this is a post which provides satisfaction. This post is a great way of experiencing the front door social work team and seeing what working in a rapid duty team is like.

Please note that this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS Check.

Why Bristol City Council?

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high profile organisation. Join us and you’ll receive a generous rewards package including membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.

If you share our values and are ready to be part of our exciting journey. To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification within the Further Information section of your application. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your application.

For permanent Bristol City Council employees, this post will be a secondment. For employees who are currently on a fixed term contract with Bristol City Council, the secondment must not extend beyond the end of the fixed term period to ensure there is a substantive post to return to. If you are currently a casual worker or a member of an employment agency (currently working with Bristol City Council) this post will be a fixed term contract.

We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.

If you would like further information or an informal discussion, please contact Sonia Gingell, Service Manager at sonia.gingell@bristol.gov.uk.

Bristol City Council strives to have a workforce that reflects the communities it serves, we are therefore committed to ensuring diversity in our hiring process. We welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit.

The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.