Job Title: Social Worker – Children in Care
Hours: 37 per week
Salary: HC8 £35,235 – £39,513 (plus £5,000 market rate supplement per year £40,235 - £44,513)
Welcome payment: £10,000
Relocation package of up to £10,000 available
Contract: permanent
Description
Herefordshire Council is seeking a committed and compassionate Social Worker to join our Looked After Children (LAC) team. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in supporting children and young people in care to achieve stability, safety, and positive long-term outcomes.
Based in the heart of Herefordshire, you’ll work as part of a close-knit and supportive team, where your professional development and wellbeing are valued as much as the children and families we support. Flexible working arrangements, manageable caseloads, and a clear progression pathway make this an ideal role for someone looking to thrive in a stable and rewarding environment.
Responsibilities
- Manage a caseload of looked after children, including those placed in foster care, residential homes, or kinship placements.
- Build meaningful relationships with children and young people to understand their lived experiences and advocate for their needs.
- Develop, implement, and review care plans that promote permanence and support the child’s best interests.
- Prepare high-quality reports for reviews, court proceedings, and planning meetings.
- Work in partnership with foster carers, schools, health professionals, and other agencies to provide coordinated, child-centred care.
- Promote placement stability, educational achievement, emotional wellbeing, and readiness for independence.
- Contribute to team discussions, audits, and service improvement initiatives.
A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Social Worker starting salary: HC8 £35,235 – £39,513 per annum
- Market rate supplement: plus £5,000 per year
- Welcome payment: £10,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams
- Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000
- Pension Scheme: Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
- Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers.
- Career progression: clear pathways to progress to senior social worker level
- Generous Annual Leave: 31 days (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
- Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
Apply Now
If you are interested, please call Chris Richardson on 01772 208964 or email me your CV – Christopher.richardson@servicecare.org.uk
If this role isn’t right for you, but you know someone who would fit perfectly to our engaged and devoted team and you refer them, you will receive a referral bonus of £350.
