C&YP Social Worker – Family Help – North Locality in Hereford

We are seeking a passionate and dedicated qualified Social Worker to join our Family Help locality team. In this role, you will work closely with children, their families, colleagues across the Directorate, and partner agencies to deliver a range of support and intervention services aimed at promoting the wellbeing, safety, and positive outcomes of children with a Family Help plan. You will play a key role in safeguarding children, working in partnership with the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) where concerns arise, and contributing to timely and effective protective interventions.

The role requires a strong commitment to high-quality practice within the statutory framework, including the Children Act 1989, the Children Act 2004, and Working Together 2026, supporting the principles of the Families First Programme. 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.

As a Social Worker within the Family Help team, you will play a vital role in supporting children, young people, and their families to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes. Working within a locality-based team, you will lead and manage a complex caseload, acting as the Family Help Lead Practitioner to deliver effective help, protection, and intervention. You’ll assess needs, identify risks, and develop tailored Family Help Plans, working closely with partner agencies to ensure coordinated and multi-agency support.

The role includes chairing and contributing to key meetings such as Child in Need, core group, and strategy discussions, as well as undertaking risk assessments and safeguarding work when concerns arise. You will build strong, restorative relationships with families and professionals, enabling meaningful change while promoting the safety and welfare of children, including those in the looked-after system. Accurate recording, report writing (including court work), and contributing to decision-making are key aspects of the role.

You are a qualified Social Worker (Social Work Degree, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent) with current Social Work England registration and a strong commitment to ongoing professional development. You bring experience of working with children and families in a statutory social care setting, with a solid understanding of safeguarding, child protection, and relevant legislation and guidance. You are confident in assessing risk, analysing complex family dynamics, and delivering effective interventions that support children to remain safely within their families wherever possible.

You are a skilled communicator, able to build trusted relationships with children, families, and multi-agency professionals. Your ability to listen, observe, and engage with empathy enables you to work restoratively and make a meaningful difference. Organised and resilient, you can manage a demanding workload, maintain accurate records, and produce clear and high-quality reports. You are confident using IT systems and committed to delivering high standards of practice. Above all, you share a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and families while working collaboratively and upholding values of trust, honesty, responsibility, inclusivity, and empathy.

We offer a competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Salary range of £36,363 - £40,777 per annum
• Market rate supplement: £5,000 per annum
• Welcome Payment: £10,000
• Retention payment: £2,000 - £4,000 depending on team.
• Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
• Professional development: protected time and budget to develop yourself and your career
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress
• Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
• Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
• Pick your perks - our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

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. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council.

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.

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!