Surrey is a large and vibrant county that borders with Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the west. This is a unique opportunity to begin your career with us at a time of positive transformation. We are continuing to develop our services in line with the national Families First reforms, strengthening our Family Help approach and working more closely with multi‑agency partners to deliver the right support at the right time. Our teams include Assessment, Family Safeguarding, Adolescents, Children with Disabilities, Children Looked After, and Fostering. Due to forthcoming changes associated with the Families First and wider service transformation, team structures are likely to change later this year. As an NQSW, you will be supported to develop your practice within this evolving landscape, with a strong ASYE programme and clear professional guidance. You will have the opportunity to ask questions about team vacancies during the selection process.
Geographical Areas
* Northeast area office based in Weybridge, covering Elmbridge, Spelthorne and Epsom & Ewell
* Southeast area office based in Reigate, covering Reigate & Banstead, Tandridge & Mole Valley
* Northwest area office based in Woking, covering Woking, Surrey Heath & Runnymede
* Southwest area office based in Guildford covering Guildford & Waverley
You will be required to travel to the office where your team is based and within the geographical area to undertake direct work with children, young people and families, to attend meetings and training as required. When not working with our children and families in the community, we support agile working with a combination of home and office working.
ASYE Programme
Our programme is well established and well resourced, supported by a capable team of experienced social work staff and managers. Across the 12‑month programme you can expect regular reflective supervision from both your Team Manager and ASYE Assessor who will guide and support you to develop your knowledge base. We will provide a comprehensive ASYE Academy Induction programme and Team Induction, allocation of an Advanced Social Worker as ASYE Assessor in addition to the operational Team Manager, graduated supervision offering increased support in the first six months, a graduated workload reaching a 90% allocation by the end of the programme, monthly one‑to‑one or group reflective supervision with the ASYE Assessor, and monthly ASYE Learning Events focusing on Post Qualifying Standards (KSS). Our latest Ofsted inspection judged our Children Services as ‘Good’ and recognised that staff are well‑trained, committed, and proud to work in Surrey. Upon successful completion of the ASYE programme with us, there will be an opportunity to progress your career with Surrey County Council and tap into our Post‑Qualifying Year 2 programme.
Qualifications & Requirements
* You hold a Social Work qualification such as a Degree, Masters or Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work (or will be about to obtain any of these)
* You are (or will be) registering with Social Work England and have permission to work in the UK following your studies, without requiring employer visa sponsorship
* Your experience of working with children, young people and their families, e.g. paid or voluntary work, transferable work experience skills, social work placements, etc.
* You qualified within two years of the NQSW cohort commencing in October 2026 (applications from those who qualified earlier than October 2024 will not be considered)
* You hold a current valid full UK driving licence and will have access to a vehicle when taking up employment with us; reasonable adjustments will be made where needed for successful applicants who have a disability or long‑term health condition
Salary & Compensation
The starting salary for this role is currently £37,995 per annum based on a 36‑hour working week. A further financial package of £6,000 is also available on completion of your Assisted and Supported Year in Employment with us.
Benefits
* Access to Community Care inform and Care Knowledge learning platforms
* Access to Surrey Safeguarding Children's Partnership training programme, our wider Academy learning and development offer, plus bespoke Court Skills for Social Workers and Domestic Abuse training for NQSWs
* Access to a secure SharePoint hub for collaborative working and up‑to‑date resources
* 28 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years of service (plus bank holidays)
* We pay your Social Work England registration fee for any registration period when you are employed with us
* Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
* A generous local government salary‑related pension
* Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
* Parental, adoption and dependants leave
* An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
* Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
* Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts, including gym, travel, and shopping
* A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents
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