The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.
Job details
Job Title: Social Worker – Children’s Social Care (Exit from Care)
Employer: Derby City Council
Location: Derby
Contract: Fixed Term 12 months
Hours: 37 per week
Salary: Grade K. Salary range £46,142 to £49,282 per year
About the Role
Derby City Council is seeking an experienced and motivated social worker to join a new, innovative team of Social Workers and Children’s Practitioners. This team will focus on safely:
- Reunifying children with their birth families, and
- Supporting children to exit care through legal routes such as Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) and Child Arrangements Orders, in line with the outcomes contained within the Children’s Social Care National Framework and reform programme (Families First for Children).
You will ensure that your practice meets regulatory requirements and is firmly rooted in Derby Children’s Social Care’s strengths‑based practice model, placing children and families at the centre of all decision‑making.
Key Responsibilities
- Assessment of children and families
- Undertake holistic, evidence‑based assessments of children’s needs, parenting capacity and family functioning.
- Assess risk and protective factors to determine whether children can safely return home or move to special guardianship with their foster carers.
- Complete viability and full special guardianship assessments in line with statutory guidance and local procedures.
- Care and permanency planning
- Contribute to and lead on care plans that set out clear goals, timescales and outcomes for reunification or special guardianship.
- Direct work with children
- Build trusting, child‑centred relationships to understand the child’s wishes, feelings and lived experience.
- Work with parents, families and special guardians
- Engage and motivate parents and wider family members to address identified risks and build on strengths.
- Support parents and prospective special guardians to understand the needs of the child and the implications of reunification or special guardianship.
- Safeguarding and risk management
- Monitor children’s safety and wellbeing through regular visits, reviews and multi‑agency information sharing.
- Implement and review safety plans where there are concerns about harm, neglect or exploitation.
- Special guardianship responsibilities
- Complete robust special guardianship assessments and support plans, including financial, practical and therapeutic support.
- Contribute to Court proceedings with clear, balanced and evidence‑based recommendations.
- Multi‑agency working
- Work closely with schools, health services, CAMHS, commissioned services and other partners to coordinate support.
About You
You will be an ambitious, reflective and compassionate social worker, committed to improving outcomes for children and families. You will bring both strong professional practice knowledge and the ability to provide strengths based and evidence‑based interventions to support successful and safe transition from care for children.
Essential qualifications and registration
- A recognised Social Work qualification (e.g., BA, MA, DipSW or equivalent).
- Social Work England registration.
Essential experience
- Substantial post‑qualifying experience in front‑line children’s social work.
- Direct experience of care proceedings and court‑related work.
- Experience of working to secure permanency for children (e.g., reunification, SGOs, Child Arrangements Orders, long‑term fostering).
Knowledge, skills and attributes
- Strong understanding of safeguarding and key statutory guidance (e.g., Children Act 1989/2004, Working Together to Safeguard Children).
- Clear knowledge of regulatory frameworks, care planning and permanence planning.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with children, families, carers and partner agencies.
- Proven ability to make sound, evidence‑based decisions, balancing risk and protective factors.
- Solution‑focused, resilient and able to manage complexity and competing demands.
- Strong commitment to strengths‑based, child‑centred practice and to working in partnership with families.
- Ability to lead and contribute to service development and innovation.
What We Offer
- The opportunity to be part of an innovative and progressive team at the forefront of Derby’s Children’s Social Care reforms.
- A supportive management and peer network, with access to reflective supervision and professional development.
- Training and development opportunities to support you in your role.
- A commitment to staff wellbeing and a positive, inclusive workplace culture.
- Flexible work/life balance scheme
- Hybrid working
- Modern office environment
- Continued professional development opportunities & career conversations
- 27 days annual leave (rising to 32 days after 5 years' service), plus bank holidays
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Team Derby Rewards – retail and leisure discounts
- Tusker Car Benefit Scheme
- Cycle2Work Scheme & free cycle training
- Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Calendar and Support
- Access to our Equality Employee Networks – LGBTQ+, Disabled Employee Network & Carers and our Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Employee Support Network and Neurodiversity Network
- Support for colleagues who are carers
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Derby City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and other relevant pre‑employment checks. We value diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. If you are a disabled person, you have the choice to apply under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme so long as you demonstrate that you meet the essential requirements for the job. We strongly believe in social understanding of disability and for us it’s all about removing barriers to equality.
