We’re proud that Dorset Council is a rated Outstanding authority by Ofsted for our work with children, young people and families. This reflects our strong commitment to high‑quality, child‑centred practice and the positive culture we’ve built across our services. Leading national change The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme sets out a major national reform of family support and child protection in England, aiming to shift the support towards earlier, more joined up help for families. Dorset was selected as a national Pathfinder local authority for the Families First for Children programme, placing us at the forefront of developing new ways of working with children, families, and communities. Now aligned with the national guidance: The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme Guide, we are bringing together a blended model to support our families to receive the right support and intervention, at the right time. Family Help Teams We are bringing together Family Help and Child Protection teams to support families in telling their story, only once, focussing on building and sustaining relationships with practitioners supporting them. As a Social Worker within the Family Help teams, there are various ways in which you can support our children and families. As one integrated team, we support families from Targeted Early Help right through to care proceedings and adoption, promoting continuity and consistent relationships. We are looking for social workers with all levels of experience to join us in making a difference in our communities. As part of the reforms, we are developing our multi-agency child protection teams. We are introducing Lead Child Protection Practitioners within the Multi‑Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) as per the national guidance and you will work closely with these practitioners and the MACPT to support the needs of our children. Our approach keeps families at the centre having redesigned child protection conferences to encourage genuine collaboration and reduce jargon. Our Lead Child Practitioners will also work directly with families, helping explain processes, build understanding, and maintain regular contact in readiness for Child Protection conferences. You’ll have the support of our Safeguarding Families Together (SFT) teams. Our SFT teams are multidisciplinary professionals made up of domestic abuse workers, substance misuse workers, mental health workers, recovering workers and person that harms (perpetrator) practitioners working together across each locality. These teams were developed inhouse following a successful pilot and are now fully embedded into everyday practice. A culture of development We take professional development seriously. Our workforce development offer and career progression pathways are extensive and available to support all our practitioners reflecting the differences in everyone’s social work journey. We have an extensive training offer, including motivational interviewing, restorative practice and strengths based approaches. You’ll also have protected time for both individual and group supervision. We support practitioners to continue their development throughout their careers, supporting strong career progression individual to them. We know social work can be demanding. That’s why we invest in your wellbeing with talking therapies, support from our Mental Health Champions, and practical workshops led by our Employee Wellbeing Team. Locality based working based working‑based working Our service is split into four localities: East Dorset & Purbeck, West Dorset & Dorchester, Chesil (Weymouth & Portland), and North Dorset. While each area has its own unique geography, you’ll be part of a wider integrated team including early help, SEND, education, youth work and inclusion colleagues. Please state your preference in your supporting statement as to which locality, if you have one. What you’ll be doing As a social worker, you’ll work with families across the continuum of need and support children who require targeted early help, subject to Child in Need plans, Child Protection plans, pre-proceedings and court proceedings. Your responsibilities will include:‑proceedings and court proceedings. Your responsibilities will include: delivering statutory services in line with the Children Act 1989 and relevant legislation undertaking assessments of children’s needs and developing effective, timely plans promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children through direct work and support working in partnership with families to build resilience and reduce the need for ongoing intervention preparing high‑quality reports for court and other professional settings chairing multi‑agency meetings to review and progress plans keeping accurate and up‑to‑date records using our case management system undertaking specialist assessments once training has been completed Work closely with early years, schools, health, police and community organisations to deliver effective, community‑based support, strengthening partnerships and contributing to robust, child‑centred plans. Join us in Dorset and be part of something genuinely different. This is your chance to work in an outstanding authority, shape the future of social work, and make a real difference to the lives of children and their families. About you We are looking for social workers with all levels of experience to join us make a difference in our communities and support our children across the continuum of need. You need a Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England. A valid driver’s licence and access to a car is essential. We have a comprehensive ASYE programme to support those who are newly qualified and embarking on their social work journey. Our workforce development offer and career progression pathways are extensive and available to support all our practitioners reflecting the differences in everyone’s social work journey. For those who are not newly qualified, they must have completed their ASYE, and for our more experienced social workers, you’ll be able to demonstrate a high level of skill and knowledge in statutory social care services, with experience of delivering child protection plans and complex court proceedings in a variety of court settings. We are pleased to be able to support applications from a limited number of candidates who require sponsorship, however, these candidates must have demonstratable experience working in a UK (English) Local Authority and demonstrate a high level of skill and knowledge in statutory social care services, with experience of delivering child protection plans. We are also pleased to be able to support up to 3 candidates requiring sponsorship from their graduate visa, who are newly qualified, having obtained their social work qualification in England. Unable to show this video due to your cookie preferences Further Information This role is full time at 37 hours but flexible working will be considered. This post requires significant travel. You must have a a valid driver's licence and vehicle available for use as needed. This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders. See our policy on safeguarding children and young people. See the children’s social worker framework. You must: have a degree in social work/Occupational Therapy or equivalent have valid drivers license and access to a car have the right to work in the UK All social workers who qualified after September 2012 need to: undertake the assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) meet the expected standards during the ASYE period The ASYE scheme is required unless you can prove that you meet the standards laid out in the professional capabilities’ framework. Friends and Family Referral Scheme The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you mention them when asked on your application form. They'll give you all the information you need. Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title. Relocation expenses package A generous relocation package is payable, of which up to £8,000 (of HMRC eligible elements) are free of tax. We can offer you help to move whether you are looking to buy or rent, depending on your circumstances. Our package includes: an initial advance of up to £2,500 payable when you start help towards fees associated with buying/selling (up to £6,500) an option to receive help towards your rent or mortgage in the first two years To arrange an informal discussion about the role, please contact our Principal Social Worker, Sarah-Louise Clark at [email protected]. About Us At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video: Unable to show this video due to your cookie preferences At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future. We: provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents work in partnership to make a real difference value every role and the impact it has on our communities support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive You will: be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset have access to a range of benefits and support receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application. This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us. Find out more about how to apply.