Locum Safeguarding Qualified Social Worker

Social Worker (Children’s) – Assessment Service

Brief Job Overview

 
We are seeking experienced and motivated Children’s Social Workers to join the Assessment Service at Devon County Council. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children, young people, and their families by building meaningful relationships and supporting them to achieve safety, stability, and long-term positive outcomes.  

As part of an Ofsted Improvement Plan, Devon County Council is committed to strengthening its children’s services, ensuring best practice is embedded across all areas. We are therefore looking for skilled, resilient, and confident practitioners who can model excellent social work and contribute to continuous improvement across the service.

About Our Assessment Team

 
The Assessment Service plays a vital role in safeguarding and supporting children and families across Devon. The team undertakes Child and Family Assessments and, where necessary, Section 47 Child Protection Enquiries to determine whether a child requires additional support, protection, or care proceedings.  

To enhance the quality and timeliness of work, the service has introduced Specialist Practitioners who lead on complex assessments such as Regulation 24 Assessments, Viability Assessments, Pre-Birth and Parenting Assessments. This allows social workers to focus on meaningful, day-to-day interventions and direct work with children and families.  

The team consists of experienced Social Workers, ASYEs, and Family Practitioners and is led by supportive and accessible Team Managers who are committed to supervision, professional growth, and reflective practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake Child and Family Assessments to identify strengths, risks, and needs, ensuring children’s voices are central to the process.
• Carry out Section 47 enquiries where there are concerns regarding a child’s safety or wellbeing.
• Work in partnership with children, families, and professionals to create family-led, strengths-based plans that promote safety and stability.
• Deliver timely and proportionate interventions that support families to make sustainable positive change.
• Prepare high-quality written reports, assessments, and plans for case conferences, reviews, and court proceedings.
• Work collaboratively with specialist practitioners to complete complex assessments and progress cases efficiently through the court process.
• Demonstrate excellent professional judgment and model good social work practice across the team.
• Contribute to the Local Authority’s Ofsted Improvement Plan by supporting best practice and continuous service development.
• Participate in supervision, reflective practice, and ongoing professional learning opportunities.
• Maintain accurate case records in line with statutory requirements and council policies.

About You

 
You are a confident and experienced Children’s Social Worker with a strong understanding of statutory frameworks and a passion for achieving better outcomes for children and families. You thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment and bring resilience, empathy, and a commitment to delivering high-quality, strengths-based social work. You are motivated to contribute to improvement and innovation within Devon’s Assessment Service, supporting your peers and leading by example.

Requirements

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Proven experience within a Children’s Assessment Service or Frontline Social Work setting.
• Strong knowledge of the Children Act 1989/2004, Working Together to Safeguard Children, and statutory guidance.
• Experience undertaking Child and Family Assessments and Section 47 enquiries.
• Excellent analytical, written, and communication skills, with the ability to produce high-quality reports and assessments.
• Commitment to strengths-based, family-led practice that promotes empowerment and positive change.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multi-agency environment, including health, education, and police partners.
• Resilient, reflective, and confident in managing risk and making sound professional decisions.
• Experience supporting or mentoring colleagues is desirable but not essential.

Contract & Salary

• Job Type: Locum
• Location: Devon County Council
• Service Area: Children’s Services – Assessment Service
• Contract Length: 3 months (with potential for extension)
• Salary: Negotiable, dependent on experience
• Working Hours: Full-time
• Working Pattern: Hybrid / Office-based as required

How to Apply

 
If you are an experienced and passionate Children’s Social Worker committed to delivering outstanding assessment and safeguarding practice, we’d love to hear from you.  
Please apply using the form on the page.