1,060 Community & Social Care jobs in the United Kingdom

Join Us at Hestia: Make a Difference!

At Hestia, we are driven by our core values and are committed to creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. We are currently seeking a Team Manager to play a vital role in our Domestic Abuse Service in Tower Hamlets .

As the Team Manager, you will be at the heart of our family women's refuge, providing holistic support to empower women and their children who have experienced trauma. Your responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing the operational running and strategic direction of the refuge.
• Providing leadership and line management to the staff team.
• Ensuring compliance with contracts and safeguarding protocols.
• Maintaining a safe, trauma-informed, and welcoming environment.
• Managing relationships with landlords and housing teams.
• Leading a high-performing team through supervision and training opportunities.
• Representing Hestia in strategic planning and multi-agency partnerships.

We’re looking for someone who embodies our values and is eager to learn. While you don’t need to check every box, here’s what we hope to see:

• A solid general education, ideally with Level 2 qualifications in Maths and English.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A SafeLives Service Manager qualification (or willingness to obtain one).
• Experience in supervising staff and delivering high-quality support.
• A good understanding of risk assessment and management in domestic abuse contexts.
• Familiarity with performance monitoring and housing legislation.
• Emotional resilience and the ability to work under pressure.
• Flexibility to travel within the borough and beyond.
• Fluency in one or more South Asian languages in addition to English.

Our interview process is straightforward, so you know exactly what to expect:

• Shortlisting Call: Speak with our recruitment specialists about your experience and motivations.
• Face-to-Face Interview: Meet with the hiring manager for a values and competency-based interview.

Interviews will be held at our head office on 26th August 2025.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workforce. We value the unique skills and experiences that individuals from various backgrounds bring to our organization.

Hestia is proud to support individuals with disabilities, offering a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who meet the minimum criteria. We also provide reasonable adjustments throughout the selection process and during your employment.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals at risk. All staff are required to undertake safeguarding training throughout their employment.

If your application is successful, you will need to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be confirmed.

We may close this job advert early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible!

Social Worker - Family Finding, Adoption South Essex

Fixed Term, Part Time

£34,902 to £0,081 per annum (full time equivalent)

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Community-based worker

Please note this vacancy a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for until 1st October 2026. This is a part time role working 22.2 hours (3 days) per week and the pro rata salary will be 0,941 to 0,049 per annum

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and families? An exciting opportunity awaits you in our dynamic Children and Families service, where we foster a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion.

Join Our Adoption Team:

Picture yourself as part of a dedicated team based in Basildon, coordinating, undertaking, and supporting family finding for children who have a plan of adoption. We are on a mission to identify the perfect adoptive placement for children seeking a brighter future. Our reach extends county-wide, working seamlessly with neighbouring quadrant teams and our partners in Adopt East for a comprehensive and impactful approach.

What You'll Do:

• Assess complex social care needs, offering crucial support to children and families.
• Provide and deliver comprehensive plans for direct work with children to prepare them for a move to an adoptive placement.
• Work closely with birth families to provide support and guidance in relation to adoption.
• Attend adoption craft and profiling events, some of which will happen at weekends, to support with family finding for children.
• Work closely with our partners within the Adopt East Alliance.
• Engage directly with young children, facilitating a deep understanding of their care plans.
• Prepare children for adoption placements through personalised direct work.
• Develop adoption support plans that empower families and build resilience.
• Navigate the statutory legal framework, ensuring timely intervention when needed.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners, stakeholders, and the voluntary sector to provide comprehensive support.
• Conduct assessments and plan responses to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
• Champion a child-centred approach, emphasising early intervention and prevention.
• Influence inter-agency planning and decision-making to proactively shape positive outcomes.
• Communicate assessments and professional judgments clearly, both orally and in writing.
• Work with families, communities, and individuals to support strategic aims and promote well-being.
• Manage individual and shared targets within the performance management framework.

Your Experience:

• A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
• Continued professional development aligned with relevant competency frameworks.
• Experience in challenging social and family situations within a social work setting.
• Strong communication skills with adults and children, building rapport with diverse groups.
• Direct work experience with children, showcasing your ability to connect on a personal level.
• Proven ability to manage competing demands, meeting required deadlines.
• Establishing strong relationships with partners, agencies, and the local community.
• Understanding the value-for-money delivery of interventions balanced against need.
• Clear decision-making skills to highlight and mitigate potential risks associated with intervention.

If you're ready to contribute to creating a brighter future for children and families, apply now! Join us in a rewarding journey where your skills and passion will make a lasting impact.

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our 'No Magic' Children & Families video

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex . With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government's devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR ) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email

Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn . Further details can be found on our careers page .

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours

This position is open to Experienced and Newly Qualified Social Worker's (NQSW's). The starting salary for a NQSW is £34,902 per annum, rising to £37,185 per annum upon successful completion of the ASYE programme.

Please note that this opportunity is available on a fixed term contract basis only until 31/03/2028.

About the Team

The team work with people who have Mental Health difficulties and who can experience multiple disadvantages next to their Mental Health difficulties, such as homelessness, substance misuse, domestic abuse and / or contact with the criminal justice system. There will be an extra focus on supporting people suffering with substance abuse and mental health in this role.

The team is part of a successful project supported by public health which aims to reach service users who have difficulties with their Mental Health and who can experience multiple disadvantages and complexities in their lives. You will be working closely with partners in other organisations and specialist addiction services.

Working with community groups, family and carers you will ensure advocacy for people with Mental Health, substance abuse and social care difficulties. This role enables you to build meaningful relationships with our service users and make a difference in their lives.

The team will be countywide community based with a mixture of working from home, local office-based working and working directly with adults in community settings.

About the Role

We're an adult social care service that wants to see citizens of Essex have as much choice and control over the way they live their lives as possible. We think everyone should have the chance to live a full and fulfilling life with people they love and care about, doing things that matter to them and living in a place they can call home. We're determined that with the right support, everyone can maintain or achieve some independence and we're proud to be working to make these ambitions a reality.

Our Social Workers work alongside people and their families and carers to help them think through what might help them get on with their lives in the way that works best for them. We do this within the framework of our statutory Care Act requirements. This means many of our conversations are framed as 'assessments', 'reviews', 'support planning' and 'safeguarding'. But our aim is always to listen and understand what matters to the person and then to work with them to think through how this might be achieved.

Take a look at our short video here to get a glimpse into the role and what it's like to be a Social Worker at Essex County Council.

About You

If you share our vision, enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories you might be interested to find out more about what we do.

If you're also a Social Worker registered with Social Work England with that winning combination of creative thought, reliability and practical ability to get things done, we'd really love to hear from you!

You'll have a broad understanding of our statutory responsibilities and a commitment to meeting these in a person-centred way.

You may have experience of chairing meetings, and you'll have an ability to develop strong relationships with partner agencies and the local community to provide a supportive framework.

Our Social Worker roles involve travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.

Why Join Us?

In June 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated our Adult Social Care services as "Good" with a score of 73%

"The local authority had a good structure and processes in place to enable people to be supported successfully, and support people to remain independent and live healthy lives. The workforce was passionate about supporting people to achieve these outcomes and the local authority had good knowledge of their area, the people living there and the demographics."

You can read the full report on the CQC website here .

Our teams are busy but warm, friendly and supportive. Our fabulous team managers will help you manage your workload and develop your practice.

We take your career just as seriously as you do, and we have a continuing professional development offer that's second to none.

We welcome diversity because it makes us grow and we're determined to become a fully inclusive and an anti-racist organisation.

What We Offer

We'll support you to be your best and will offer:

• Ongoing opportunities for continuing professional development
• Flexible working options
• Employee wellbeing and counselling
• Lease Car scheme
• Life assurance of three times annual salary
• Local Government Pension Scheme. View Key Facts and FAQ's about the LGPS.
• Volunteering leave
• 27 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising with service
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
• Employee Networks - communities to support you, connect you and help influence change at ECC
• Payment of your Social Work England registration fees!

Whatever you want to achieve in your social work career, you can do it here.

*T&Cs Apply.

Apply now.

For more information contact

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government's devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) ) on our careers site

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to .

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn . Further details can be found on our careers page .

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours

About Us

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the continued development of Adopt Thames Valley (ATV) Regional Adoption Agency. ATV launched in December 2017 and is the shared Adoption Service for Bracknell Forest, Oxfordshire, Reading Borough Council (Brighter Futures for Children), The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (Achieving for Children), Swindon Borough Council, West Berkshire Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council.

About the Role

We are looking for a highly motivated Social Worker to join our Oxford and Swindon Adoption Team.  

Your responsibilities will include:

• Recruitment, assessment, training and support of prospective adopters at all stages of the adoption process.
• Family finding and matching of children in the care of partner local authorities with prospective adopters.

The Team is very friendly and supportive, as well as being hard-working and very committed to adoption work. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in adoption and permanence to further their career and specialism.

About you

We are ideally seeking a social worker with three years post qualifying experience in relevant work settings, such as within children’s Services or Family Placement, and who has excellent assessment, analytical and report writing skills. The applicant will need to demonstrate that they understand the permanency planning process, the needs of children who require an adoptive placement, and that they are keen to develop their knowledge and skills further. The successful applicant also needs to be computer literate.

Our Rewards & Benefits

As part of our team, you’ll benefit from:

• Vivup benefits platform
• Vivup highfive recognition platform
• Cyclescheme (for eco-conscious commuters)
• Electric vehicle lease scheme
• Discounts at local retailers
• Salary finance options
• Up to 33 days of annual leave (including bank holidays)
• A competitive 19.9% employer pension contribution rate

Our commitment to:
 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
 Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
 Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
 Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

Empowering Change - Children's Social Care - together we’re the moment makers

Job Introduction

About Us

Together, we’re shaping children’s social care for the future. Every day, our colleagues are helping to transform the lives of the residents of Oxfordshire. 

In our Early Help, Assessment and Prevention Directorate, we’re committed to delivering lasting change, by helping the children, young people, and families of Oxfordshire to thrive. We know the importance of building relationships, empowering people, and building on strengths - and this is reflected in our restorative, relational practice approach. 

Everyday you’ll be challenged in a new way, supported by your team, in an organisation that is free thinking, flexible, and helps people achieve their ambitions. We’re not afraid to do things differently and our dynamic culture means this is a place where new ideas are embraced, and innovation thrives.

We believe that together, our differences make us stronger, and that diversity is the foundation for innovation. Here, you can create a unique career for yourself – while raising the bar for the future of children’s social care. 

We’ve been consistently rated as “good” by Ofsted and we continue to strive to do better!  Are you in?

About the Role

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, young people, and families in need of help and protection? We have exciting Social Worker and Senior Practitioner opportunities within the Children's Assessment Service (North).

The Children’s Assessment Service provides an early response to support children and their families who may be in need or at risk of harm without our help.   Our workers have the privilege of supporting families at one of the earliest points of contact with Children's Services, completing comprehensive child and family assessments in partnership with children and their families, so we can ensure they receive the right help, at the right time. We do this with the support of our multi-agency partners with whom we have developed strong relationships as part of Oxfordshire’s commitment to the Family Safeguarding Model. 

The Children's Assessment Service is a fast-paced environment providing a wealth of professional development opportunities.   In this important role, you will be part of a duty rotation of social workers receiving assessments as they are referred by our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub. You will also be responsible for leading Section 47 child protection investigations where they are necessary, all with the support of experienced managers. The role of a children's assessment Social Worker is critical in ensuring our children and their families receive thoughtful, evidence-based assessments that help them identify and make changes, and where necessary have a well-developed further plan of intervention to support lasting changes.
  

About you

The post holder will be free-thinking and brave, and that sets you apart. You'll be supportive and energised; you don't accept the norm if it can be done better - finding answers through exploration and courage. Just as importantly, you will embody our values in everything you do: always learning, be kind and care, equality and integrity in all we do, taking responsibility and daring to do it differently. 

Fundamentally, you'll be passionate about delivering stand-out public services, because we're here to make every moment the best it can be for the residents of Oxfordshire

 A role in the Children’s Assessment Service is a key safeguarding role and our Social Workers and Senior Practitioners are critical in ensuring children and families receive a safe, respectful and child-focused service.

To apply: 

You should be a qualified social worker with current Social Work England registration, and have completed the ASYE (or equivalent).  

Additionally, you will have experience of working with children and their families in a statutory setting and possess a good working knowledge of services relevant to children, young people, their families and carers.  It is essential that you have a good understanding of safeguarding, relevant legislation, guidance, policy and procedures.

Most importantly, you should share our commitment to delivering respectful, proportionate and evidence-based assessments that are child-focused and ensure that  children's voices really make a difference to what we do.

It is essential that you are a car owner/driver and are able to travel to visit children and families and attend meetings across the North of the county.

Please refer to the job description attached for a full list of selection criteria. We would love to hear all about your relevant experience and achievements in your application. 

Curious to learn more? Contact our friendly team for a confidential and informative chat - Team manager – North

Rewards and benefits

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too. We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working . We offer some of the very best learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development .

We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 32 days, as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.

• Welcome and Loyalty payment of £3,500.
• Relocation allowance of up to £8,000.
< >Annual leave starting at 30 days per year (plus bank holidays).
• A comprehensive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Flexible working.
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support 24x7.
• Range of family-friendly policies.
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme, range of staff discounts including travel, holidays, insurance, food, health & leisure activities.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.

If you are a Social Worker living outside of the United Kingdom or a Student Social Worker please keep an eye out for our International Social Worker vacancies or opportunities for Newly Qualified Social Workers. 

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support , education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job . For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service .

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults . We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment . We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service .

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact:

As an Adult Social Worker, you will make a real difference to vulnerable people in our community, helping and supporting them to live their lives in the way they want to. Our primary purpose will be working with people who require social care services, their families and carers to ensure independence is maintained as much as possible and outcomes are clear, monitored and reviewed.   

• Daily, you will deliver genuine people-centred, strength-based support, with a focus on what our service users tell us will make the biggest difference to them. Using your creativity to deliver the best outcomes for our communities.
• It will be your responsibility to implement, review and monitor actions and outcomes in line with individual care plans.  
• Where appropriate, you will make changes and amendments as the needs of the individual change and evolve.  
  You will work in line with best practice legislation, policy and guidance to promote the wellbeing and dignity of service users.
• Using your experience and knowledge, you will make recommendations for the implementation of reablement.  
  
  

As an Advanced Social Worker, you will be required to:

• support students on placement as an experienced Practice Educator.
• be fully up to date with the core training expectations as an Advanced Social Worker. 

• It is essential that you have a degree in social work with relevant SWE registration to practice or be in the final year of your social work studies.  
  Given the elements of this role, it is key you understand asset and strength-based approaches to adult social care.
• We require you to be a problem solver, confident about making important decisions, underpinned by a genuine passion to work collaboratively with people to meet their goals and aspirations.
• You’ll welcome challenge and embrace change.   
  
  

Additionally, as an Advanced Social Worker:

• You must have a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience.
• We require you to have evidence of meeting the essential (and desirable where possible) criteria for the role of Advanced Social Worker in South Gloucestershire Council.
• You will have a clear commitment to Continuous Professional Development (CPD). 

• To be considered for the Advanced Social Worker position, your evidence must be clearly detailed in your application.The salary is offered at points within these bands depending on experience:
  • Social worker: £37,280 - £9,152
  • Advanced Social worker: 0,777 - 4,075
• This role is hybrid, predominantly you will be required to work in the office based in Yate, or out in the community, with occasional days working at home.
• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so must have a full valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have alternative appropriate means of travel.
• Business insurance will need to be added to your insurance policy.
• You can claim back mileage expenses.
• Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post.
  
  

Interviews anticipated week commencing 6th October 2025.

• What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos . We are a relatively small local authority, so managers know staff well. They can plan their services to ensure teams have manageable caseload s and have effective supervision so feel supported to make decisions which are right for the people they work with.
• We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives, and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance.
• We invest in the careers of our people, and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work.
• As part of our benefits package , you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts , including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted, and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
  
  

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.    

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
• We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
• We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.  
   

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.

We’re making a difference, be part of it! 

To view the full job description, please click this link: Social Worker & Advanced Social Worker - Job description  

Social Worker - Family Finding, Adoption Mid Essex

Permanent, Full Time

£34,902 to £50,081 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Community-based worker

Please note this role is based in County Hall, Chelmsford however will require travel countywide to meet business needs.

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and families? An exciting opportunity awaits you in our dynamic Children and Families service, where we foster a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion.

Join Our Adoption Team:

Picture yourself as part of a dedicated team based in Chelmsford, coordinating, undertaking, and supporting family finding for children who have a plan of adoption. We are on a mission to identify the perfect adoptive placement for children seeking a brighter future. Our reach extends county-wide, working seamlessly with neighbouring quadrant teams and our partners in Adopt East for a comprehensive and impactful approach.

What You'll Do:

• Identify families for children needing an adoptive family.
• Provide and deliver comprehensive plans for direct work with children to prepare them for a move to an adoptive placement.
• Work closely with birth families to provide support and guidance in relation to adoption.
• Attend adoption craft and profiling events, some of which will happen at weekends, to support with family finding for children.
• Work closely with our partners within the Adopt East Alliance.
• Engage directly with young children, facilitating a deep understanding of their care plans.
• Prepare children for adoption placements through personalised direct work.
• Develop adoption support plans that empower families and build resilience.
• Navigate the statutory legal framework, ensuring timely intervention when needed.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners, stakeholders, and the voluntary sector to provide comprehensive support.
• Conduct assessments and plan responses to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
• Champion a child-centred approach, emphasising early intervention and prevention.
• Influence inter-agency planning and decision-making to proactively shape positive outcomes.
• Communicate assessments and professional judgments clearly, both orally and in writing.
• Work with families, communities, and individuals to support strategic aims and promote well-being.
• Manage individual and shared targets within the performance management framework.

Your Experience:

• A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
• Continued professional development aligned with relevant competency frameworks.
• Experience in challenging social and family situations within a social work setting.
• Strong communication skills with adults and children, building rapport with diverse groups.
• Direct work experience with children, showcasing your ability to connect on a personal level.
• Proven ability to manage competing demands, meeting required deadlines.
• Establishing strong relationships with partners, agencies, and the local community.
• Understanding the value-for-money delivery of interventions balanced against need.
• Clear decision-making skills to highlight and mitigate potential risks associated with intervention.

If you're ready to contribute to creating a brighter future for children and families, apply now! Join us in a rewarding journey where your skills and passion will make a lasting impact.

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our 'No Magic' Children & Families video

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex . With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government's devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR ) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email

Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn . Further details can be found on our careers page .

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours

You can make a difference by offering effective emergency social work services to four local authorities , outside normal working hours, where you will make sound judgements in a variety of challenging situations.
You will be working within a small team of social work practitioners, where you will receive contacts from the public and other professionals regarding social care issues across Bristol, BANES, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, which require an urgent response.

• You will be working to a 10-week rolling rota, covering nights, weekends and bank holidays. This includes 2 weeks off rota and 1 week on standby. (part time workers will be agreed around this model).
• It will be key for you to demonstrate your knowledge of the relevant legislation (Mental Health Act, Children’s Act and Care Act) and statutory duties to be able to respond accordingly to each situation.
• It will be your responsibility to keep up to date with good practice in all areas of social work, along with service and policy objectives, to ensure those objectives are met.
• Regularly, you will work with other agencies and statutory bodies (e.g. police, health  etc.) and continue to maintain good working relationships with them.
• Day to day, you will need to complete all necessary forms, including maintaining a log of all calls received, indicating the action taken and ensuring details are reported to the appropriate duty desk. 

• This role is for 18.5 hours per week. Your salary will be pro-rata to hours worked.
• We require you to be a qualified Social Worker with relevant registration to practice (SWE Social Work England) and be AMHP warranted.
• It will be key for you to have relevant post-qualifying experience in mental health  along with extensive knowledge of dealing with complicated cases.
• Given the elements of this role, we require you to undertake complex risk assessments and be able to communicate effectively the outcome both in verbal and written format.

• Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check covering both Child and Adult Workforce is obtained.
• Once you have completed your induction, there will be opportunities to work from home.
• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so you must have a full, valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have an alternative means of travel.
• Business Insurance will need to be added to your existing insurance policy.
• EDT Social Worker (AMHP warranted) £45,091 to £8,226  per annum (including an out of hours shift allowance of 26% = £5 814 to 0,764)
• These posts attract a gross lump sum £ 000 ‘recruitment payment ’ pro rata offered to enable social workers who have already successfully completed their ASYE to join our permanent workforce. This is payable upon successful completion of your probationary period (after approximately 3-6 months) and is subject to eligibility criteria.
• These posts are currently eligible for a market factor £3,00 ‘retention payment’  pro rata, payable in November annually to those with two years’ service with the council in Children’s Social Care In an eligible post, inclusive of any ASYE period.

Interviews will be held week commencing 29th September 2025.

• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave  (pro rata), employee wellbeing support  and you will have access to a range of staff discounts , including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team  of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.  
• We invest in the careers of our people and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and  development  offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work.
• What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos . We are a relatively small local authority, so managers know staff well. They can plan their services to ensure teams have manageable caseloads  and have effective supervision so feel supported  to make decisions which are right for the children and young people they work with.
• We are committed to safeguarding  and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.

“Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working for South Gloucestershire Council. Staff report feeling heard and responded to by senior leaders. Reduced workloads, increased stability of managers and more business support have strengthened their ability to respond to and improve the quality of practice for children. A wealth of concentrated training, including the Programme for Change initiative, has developed skill sets and expertise of staff. Staff benefit from a clear pathway of career progression, including a bespoke managers development programme.”  (Ofsted Report published July 2024)

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here. 

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.  
• We're planning for the future; building and improving the roads, railways, schools, green spaces, and houses.  
• We’re providing essential services across our communities to ensure they are safe and well maintained.  

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.  

We’re making a difference, be part of it! 

To view the full job description, please click this link:  Emergency Duty Team Social Worker AMPH - Job Description

You can make a difference by offering effective emergency social work services to four local authorities, outside normal working hours, where you will make sound judgements in a variety of challenging situations.
You will be working within a small team of social work practitioners, where you will receive contacts from the public and other professionals regarding social care issues across Bristol, BANES, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, which require an urgent response.

• You will be working to a 10-week rolling rota, covering nights, weekends and bank holidays. This includes 2 weeks off rota  (part time workers will be agreed around this model).
• It will be key for you to demonstrate your knowledge of the relevant legislation (Mental Health Act, Children’s Act and Care Act) and statutory duties to be able to respond accordingly to each situation.
• It will be your responsibility to keep up to date with good practice in all areas of social work, along with service and policy objectives, to ensure those objectives are met.
• Regularly, you will work with other agencies and statutory bodies (e.g. police, health  etc.) and continue to maintain good working relationships with them.
• Day to day, you will need to complete all necessary forms, including maintaining a log of all calls received, indicating the action taken and ensuring details are reported to the appropriate duty desk. 

• We require you to be a qualified Social Worker with relevant registration to practice (SWE Social Work England).
• It will be key for you to have relevant post-qualifying experience along with extensive knowledge of dealing with complicated cases.
• Given the elements of this role, we require you to undertake complex risk assessments and be able to communicate effectively the outcome both in verbal and written format.

• This is a limited term contract ending 30th September 2026. 
• We are also offering this as an internal secondment opportunity, you should first seek your line managers permission before applying.  
• Once you have completed the induction programme there will be opportunities to work from home.
• We are also offering this as an internal secondment opportunity, you should first seek your line managers permission before applying.  
• Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check covering both Child and Adult Workforce is obtained.
• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so you must have a full, valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have an alternative means of travel.
• Business Insurance will be need to be added to your insurance policy.
• EDT Social Worker non AMHP £40,777 to £4,075 per annum  (including an out of hours shift allowance of 26% = £ ,379 to 5,534 per annum)

Interviews will be held week commencing 29th September 2025.

• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave  (pro rata), employee wellbeing support  and you will have access to a range of staff discounts , including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team  of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.  
• We invest in the careers of our people and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and  development  offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work.
• What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos . We are a relatively small local authority, so managers know staff well. They can plan their services to ensure teams have manageable caseloads  and have effective supervision so feel supported  to make decisions which are right for the children and young people they work with.
• We are committed to safeguarding  and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.

“Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working for South Gloucestershire Council. Staff report feeling heard and responded to by senior leaders. Reduced workloads, increased stability of managers and more business support have strengthened their ability to respond to and improve the quality of practice for children. A wealth of concentrated training, including the Programme for Change initiative, has developed skill sets and expertise of staff. Staff benefit from a clear pathway of career progression, including a bespoke managers development programme.”  (Ofsted Report published July 2024)

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here. 

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.  
• We're planning for the future; building and improving the roads, railways, schools, green spaces, and houses.  
• We’re providing essential services across our communities to ensure they are safe and well maintained.  

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.  

We’re making a difference, be part of it! 

To view the full job description, please click this link: Emergency Duty Team Social Worker - Job Description