Some key information Principal Social Worker – Empower Our Workforce, Transform Children’s Lives Salary: Grade 6 £65,090 per annum Location: Somerset Directorate: Children & Families Every child deserves the best start in life—and everyone of our frontline staff deserves the right support to enable that to happen. We know that the wellbeing of our workforce is the key to achieving the best outcomes for children and families. That’s why we’re looking for a Principal Social Worker who will champion, guide, and empower our practitioners. What will I be doing? Your Impact As our Principal Social Worker, you’ll be the professional voice of social work for children in Somerset—providing strategic leadership and hands-on support to ensure our workforce has the tools, confidence, and knowledge to meet the complex needs of children and families. You’ll also lead in our learning and development offer, and the Families First Partnership Programme. What kind of experience or qualifications do I need? What We’re Looking For A qualified, registered social worker with extensive experience in working with children and families. A proven leader who can inspire teams, and influence strategy and culture. Why Somerset? We’re ambitious for our children—and for our workforce. You’ll join a senior leadership team that invests in development, prioritises wellbeing, and is determined to make Somerset a great place to live and work. This is your chance to lead change where it matters most. What's in it for me? We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset. We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available: We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home. Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave Staff discounts in gyms. Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services. Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme. A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings. My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more. Anything else I should know? Ready to Make a Difference? Apply now and help us build a workforce that transforms lives. For an informal discussion, please contact Angie McArthur at Angie.Mcarthur@somerset.gov.uk. Angie will coordinate a call with Executive Director Claire Winter. Due to the importance of the role, we recommend applying as soon as possible as we anticipate conducting interviews ahead of the closing date. The interview date will be 5th or 6th February 2026 if applying, please save this date.