The Workforce Development Lead – Social Work will deliver high quality professional expertise in driving forward the workforce development strategy for Children’s Services. They will enable and deliver a programme of learning and support qualified and alternatively qualified practitioners working with children, young people and families with a focus on coaching and mentoring. Working to the Senior Workforce Lead, they will enable a continuous culture of learning, development and practice improvement. They will drive forward a defined career pathway of support, mentorship, research, and development for newly qualified social workers through their two year programme, supporting developmental assessment and progression planning.
The Workforce Development Lead will work with others to:
1. Enable practice – Children’s welfare is paramount, and we seek to work in partnership with whole families through a trauma informed lens.
2. Empower people – We will ensure children’s voices shape our response and service delivery. We will consider how we equip staff to consider all the circumstances which impact children and families.
3. Deliver progress – We will proactively work with other agencies to review and develop how we work with families, including building family networks and local sufficiency.
Cheshire West and Chester Council is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.
Cheshire West and Chester Council is seeking a passionate Workforce Development Lead - Social Work to join their teams as part of their commitment to improving outcomes for children, young people, and families. The council is implementing the Families First Partnership Programme which focuses on locality-based family help teams working closely with family help safeguarding teams and Multi Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT) services to provide consistent, trauma-informed, and systemic support tailored to the needs of families.
The council’s approach is rooted in trauma-informed and systemic practice, ensuring empathetic and holistic interventions. Social workers are equipped with bespoke training, including trauma-informed practice and motivational interviewing, to deliver high-quality support.
Cheshire West and Chester offer a supportive work environment with strong leadership, reflective practice frameworks, and a culture of shared learning.
We have Magic Notes in Cheshire West and this is delivering clear benefits for both practitioners and managers, significantly reducing written administration by an average of six hours per week and allowing social workers to spend more time on direct practice. As a result, % of practitioners report increased job enjoyment and improved work–life balance. Practitioners describe being more physically and emotionally present with families, able to maintain eye contact, focus fully during assessments and meetings, and allow conversations to flow naturally, with positive feedback from families. The tool also reduces admin-related stress, enabling quicker case recording, deeper analysis, and greater focus on understanding lived experience, while improving accessibility for staff with additional needs such as dyslexia. From a management perspective, Magic Notes has improved morale, strengthened relationships with children and families, enhanced care planning and direct work, and is seen by all managers as having a positive impact on recruitment and retention, with most identifying it as a key factor in attracting and keeping staff.
The council is committed to professional growth, with many senior roles filled by individuals who have progressed internally. High-quality training and development opportunities are available, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
A recent survey with Frontline highlighted strong child-focused leadership, clear practice standards, and high-quality supervision. Staff feel trusted, supported, and valued, with many recommending Cheshire West and Chester as an excellent place to work.
If you choose to join us we offer:
- Flexible remote working
- Bright, modern, recently refurbished office environments
- Free parking at all office locations
- Competitive salary and working rewards
- Up to days’ flexi leave per year, in addition to annual leave
- Social Work England registration paid for by the council
- High-quality supervision
- Strong reflective practice framework
- Excellent training opportunities
- Clear progression and developmental opportunities
- We offer competitive rates of pay depending on experience.
Please see Job Description / Person Specification.