Childrens Social Work Manager - Assessment South Locality in Hereford

Contract: Permanent

Location: Ross-on-Wye (South Locality)

Hours: 37 hours

Salary: 11HC £51,356 - £55,915, plus market supplement of £5,000 per year (£56,356 - £60,915)

Welcome payment: £10,000 (see attached guidance)

Relocation package of up to £10,000 available

Introduction

Our Assessment and Support service is made up of three teams, which work out of three locality offices: South Locality (Ross-on-Wye), North Locality (Leominster) and Central Locality (Hereford). Each Team comprises of a Team Manager, Senior Practitioner, Social Workers, and Family Support Workers. Locality working gives you the opportunity to stay connected, meet new colleagues, and easily access support. We are proud of our restorative approach to social work - a way of working that is firmly embedded in our team culture and management style. Collaboration and reflection are at the heart of how we practice: senior managers are always available for guidance and support, especially when navigating complex cases.

The Role

Are you a qualified social worker? Do you have management or supervisory experience? Maybe you are a Senior Practitioner, or Advanced Practitioner? Working within the Assessment Team, you will be managing a team of staff who work directly with children and families. With a rotating duty element, the Assessment teams work at pace, completing robust short-term quality assessments of need, ensuring the right service provision is in place. Each of the four teams consists of a Team Manager, Managing Practitioner and 5 Social Workers. You will provide leadership to your team, and you will be responsible for allocating and prioritising workloads effectively to ensure the care of the child is paramount, whilst also ensuring you develop your team to provide an effective and efficient service. The right candidate will have responsibility for the team plan to meet objectives and ensure performance targets are achieved. You will be fully qualified (DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent), with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in statutory social care. With honed skills in assessment, report writing, and managing complex cases, you will be dedicated to improving the lives of children and families within Herefordshire.

About You

• Passionate about making a difference for children and families through high-quality assessments and early intervention
• Skilled in analysis, planning, and decision-making, ensuring each child’s needs are clearly understood and effectively met
• Committed to working collaboratively, inclusively, and creatively with families and partner agencies
• Resilient, reflective, and confident in managing complex situations and making sound professional judgments
• Able to thrive in a supportive, fast-paced team environment, contributing to a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• Registered with Social Work England and hold a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree/DipSW/CQSW)

We Offer

• A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme
• Team Manager starting salary of 11HC £51,356- £55,915 (plus market supplement of £5,000 per year)
• Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
• Welcome payment £10,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams
• Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
• Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress
• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays
• Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits

Why Choose Us?

We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together. Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community. Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference. It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practice approach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email. If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.

How to apply

To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role. Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile!