Are you an experienced children and families social worker keen to help develop the next generation of social workers in Durham? This brand new role could be the post for you! WHAT IS INVOLVED? We are expanding our very successful partnership with Frontline, by creating a new hub in Stanley. Your first cohort of trainees will start in September 2026, so you will have plenty of time to get ready. As a Consultant Social Worker you will hold a protected caseload and will have responsibility for a hub of typically five trainees, who you will support, manage and develop as they train to be social workers on the Approach Social Work programme. Your trainees will learn through observing your practice and gradually taking on more responsibility for working with the families you support. You will assess them throughout their first year on the programme and recommend if they should qualify as social workers at the end of the year. You don’t need to already be a practice educator. You can work towards achieving stage two of the Practice Educator Professional Standards during your training. To develop your practice you will participate in Frontline’s very high quality Consultant Social Worker Leadership Development Programme, delivered by top practice experts and systemic trainers. You will be joining us at a fantastic time. Inspectors have judged our Children’s Services as outstanding. You can read the full report here HOW WILL WE SUPPORT YOU? We are passionate about social work in County Durham. We are committed to providing a culture where good practice can flourish. We will ensure you are highly supported. You will benefit from high quality professional supervision, a great induction, and access to our strong learning and development offer alongside the fantastic offer from Frontline. You can find out more about social work in Durham here WHAT WILL I NEED? You will need to be: an experieced child and family social worker who is keen to nurture future social workers. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. TO FIND OUT MORE We encourage you to contact Joanne Ormston Relationship and Development Manager at Frontline so that you understand the role well. You can contact Joanne by e-mail at: joanne.ormston@thefrontline.org.uk There is lots of really useful information about the Frontline programme and the role of the Consultant Social Worker at: https://thefrontline.org.uk/develop-your-career/consultant-social-workers/ For information about the Stanley team contact Haley Nesbitt, Team Manager by e-mail at: haley.nesbitt@durham.gov.uk OUR OFFER TO YOU We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. This post is eligible for a recruitment/retention allowance of £2,500 over 12 months (pro-rata for part time workers). Payments are made in equal instalments across a 12-month period alongside your pay. The allowances are subject to tax, National Insurance and pension contributions. If you are looking to relocate to join us removal, lodging and separation expenses of up to £8,000 may be available to you if you live outside of County Durham and in excess of 30 miles in a straight line from your new base, along with a number of other criteria for eligibility. Hybrid working applies to this post. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process. IF YOU ARE READY TO APPLY Complete the Frontline application form at: Application Form If you are shortlisted we will then ask you to complete part of the Durham County Council application form so we have your key information on record. Interviews will be on 17 and 18 March 2026. CONNECT WITH US Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Visit our website VPRS/161