Location: Tide House, Bideford, Devon
Role type: Flexible (office based, with some home working)
Reporting to: Registered Manager
About Tide House
Tide House is a Residential Family Assessment Centre rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted (August 2025). We undertake parenting assessments for up to five families placed with us, providing ‘expert evidence’ to support families, local authorities and care proceedings. Families have self-contained accommodation of 1-3 bedrooms, allowing us to support families with multiple parents and children.
Tide House utilises relational approaches to support families to care for their children in a safe and consistent way, alongside undertaking the required assessment of them, as directed by the Local Authority or Court.
The role
As a Specialist Social Worker you will typically be responsible for undertaking the parenting assessments of 2-3 families that are placed at Tide House. You will be joining a multi-disciplinary team that includes Social Workers, Therapists, Assessment Support Workers and Family Key Workers. The team are highly skilled and experienced in supporting families with a wide range of needs, including mental ill-health, substance use, learning disabilities, domestic abuse and past trauma.
Alongside undertaking the parenting assessment, you will utilise your social work skills and experience contribute to the wider team learning and development, including weekly meetings that review the ongoing assessment and monitoring levels for each family.
This role has an important safeguarding responsibility, both for the families you directly work with and as a contributor to the wider safeguarding culture throughout the organisation. Close support, clear communication and regular recordings all support us to ensure children at Tide House are kept safe and their wellbeing promoted.
This role can be undertaken fully in the office or with 2-3 days of home working, depending upon the current stage of assessment. You will be expected to be present, in person, for assessment sessions, delivering ‘Feedback’ and for most multi-agency meetings. The length of the office days can be negotiated.
The successful candidate will have:
1. As least 3 years post-qualifying experience of working in children’s social work
2. Experience of undertaking parenting assessments, report writing and care proceedings
3. A trauma-informed approach to working with parents, whilst ensuring a child-focus to the assessment
4. Experience of engaging families to make positive and sustained change
5. A commitment to professional development
What we offer at Tide House:
A warm, person‑centred organisation making a real difference
- A homely, nurturing environment where people feel valued
- Small enough for strong relationships, big enough for real opportunities
- A supportive culture focused on improving lives every day
Clear values and meaningful purpose
- Everything we do is centred around safety, wellbeing and getting it right for families
- A commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for families through consistent, high quality and relational practice
- A shared vision that everyone is part of and contributes to
Supportive, visible and experienced leadership
- Managers who listen, guide and actively support you
- A collaborative multi‑disciplinary approach
- Friendly and approachable leadership team
- Regular 1:1 and group supervision
Robust, supportive induction
- Structured induction programme to help you feel confident in your role
- Hands-on learning and guidance from experienced staff
- Shadowing shifts and ongoing mentoring
Support for your career progression
- We invest in developing your skills and career
- Training and qualifications funded (by agreement)
- Pathways for progression into different roles
Meaningful rewards
- Highly competitive salary
- Paid annual leave (33 days for this position)
- Paid sick leave
- Private healthcare
- Company pension
- Paid flu vaccine
- Paid eye care
- Annual staff celebration and social event
Excellent IT systems
- Bespoke, in-house, case management system
- Responsive, in-person IT support
- Easy-to-use systems that help you succeed in your role
- Tools designed to make your work smoother and more efficient
A great working environment
- A calm, positive and well-maintained office setting
- Tea, coffee and biscuits, as needed!
- A team culture built on kindness, respect and collaboration
- A supportive atmosphere where everyone looks out for each other