Fostering Social Worker | Adoption Social Worker | Local Authority - Bedfordshire Region Social Worker required to join a well-established Fostering or Adoption Team within a local authority Full-time position Hybrid working - flexible arrangements (office-based up to 3 days per week) Office base: Bedfordshire region (specific location shared at later stage) Pay rate: To be confirmedAbout the Role: We're currently supporting a local authority in the Bedfordshire area looking for experienced Social Workers to join either their Fostering or Adoption team. Both teams are well-managed and supportive, offering an excellent opportunity to join services that are committed to delivering positive outcomes for children and families. These are stable teams with manageable caseloads and an established structure. You'll play a key role in either undertaking assessments, supporting foster carers, or progressing adoption planning and permanency. Key Responsibilities: Undertaking assessments and contributing to care or adoption planning Supporting foster carers or prospective adopters throughout the process Working closely with partner agencies and professionals Preparing reports for panel and attending relevant meetings Maintaining accurate case recordings in line with statutory responsibilities What We're Looking For: Experience within a Fostering or Adoption team is essential Excellent assessment and report-writing skills Ability to build strong relationships with families, children, and professionals A confident, reliable practitioner who can work independently within a supportive team To Be Considered: You must be a qualified Social Worker with a recognised Social Work qualification (Social Work degree / DipSW / CQSW) Registered with Social Work England Must have recent experience working in a local authority setting in the UK Enhanced DBS required References will be requested Please apply to be considered If you are interested in discussing this position in more detail please call (phone number removed) and ask for Anton Mostert or email (url removed) Caritas Recruitment are a specialist recruitment agency for Qualified Social Workers at all levels. We supply Qualified Social Work staff to over 150 local authorities, UK wide, on a permanent and temporary (locum/contract) basis. If you know of someone who might be interested in this vacancy please ask them to get in touch; we offer a £300 referral bonus scheme for each friend/colleague you refer plus an additional £500 on your fifth referral! Reasons to register with Caritas:- Honest & Supportive Career Consultant Additional Dedicated Payroll Consultant Holistic Support Package for Mental and Physical Wellbeing Access to the broadest range of temporary and permanent vacancies nationwide Access to Exclusive Projects Subsidised training Free DBS check CV writing service Interview technique coaching Caritas Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy