We are hiring Children’s Social Workers for our Private, Public and Work to First Hearing teams.
Working in the Private and Public Law teams, Children’s Social Workers (or as we will professionally call you - Family Court Advisers) are involved in a combination of cases where either the families require the assistance to agree on the best arrangements for the welfare and safety of the child(ren) involved or the local authority has serious concerns and requests the involvement of Cafcass in the case.
Within the Work to First Hearing team you will play a key role in ensuring Cafcass only intervenes in the lives of those children who needs a service. This role is fast paced, draws on Child Protection expertise and requires analytical and effective risk assessment to identify key issues for the court and make safe recommendations in the best interests of the child. You will predominantly achieve this through effective telephone interviews with applicants and respondents and by assessing information received from other agencies. You will then collate this to allow you to succinctly and expertly communicate advice in the court through clear, evidence-based reports and representations, which will mean attending initial Court Hearings to ensure that children remain central to all decision making.
Children’s Social Workers key responsibilities include:
* Conducting assessments and directly engaging with children to understand and represent their views and wishes to the court.
* Using expertise in robust risk assessment and mediation will be essential as you advocate for arrangements that prioritise the best interest of the children.
Who we’re looking for
* Relevant Social Work qualification is essential
* You must be registered with Social Work England regulator
* You’ll ideally have a minimum of 3 years’ experience working with children and families in a social work capacity
* Experience in Family Court proceedings and understanding of Private and/or Public Law would be an advantage
* Organised and resilient with ability to work independently and managing workload effectively
Location
"We embrace a flexible, hybrid culture, meaning proximity to our offices is not always a critical factor.
* Exeter-Based Roles (2): Covering Somerset and Devon, these roles offer flexibility with a base in our Exeter office with one role in our Public Law team and the other in our WTFH team.
* Plymouth-Based Role (1): This role requires only monthly in-person team meetings in the Plymouth office. However, due to case work, candidates should be located near Truro or Bodmin to cover those courts effectively.
We provide the resources, equipment, and support, so that individually and collectively, we can be the voice of children and young people when the family court makes critical decisions about their futures.
We provide extensive wellbeing support for colleagues, as well as excellent benefits, all of which we hope encourages you to work within our dedicated team.
Next steps / Timelines
Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.
Closing date:
30th March 2026
Telephone interviews:
1st April 2026
Final Interview:
13th & 15th April 2026
Vacancy Contact -
In anticipation of your successful application, we encourage you to review our offer and pre-employment checks process. You are welcome to raise any questions or concerns about these checks during your application, with the assurance that this information will remain confidential.
Successful applicants will undergo various pre-engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In line with the DBS code of practice and our policy, if a criminal offence is declared, an individual assessment will be conducted. For further details regarding this assessment, please refer to the Cafcass DBS policy.
We look forward to receiving your application!