Case Review Officer

Social Work England; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A regulatory body for social work in the UK seeks a Case Officer to manage fitness to practise cases. The role involves providing guidance to social workers, responding to inquiries, and collecting evidence. Applicants should demonstrate strong communication skills, an understanding of regulatory processes, and the ability to work in a collaborative environment. The position offers a salary of £34,085, with benefits including flexible working and a contributory pension.

Benefits

Flexible working

Contributory pension

Life insurance

Benefits portal

Qualifications

• Experience in a casework, regulatory, or statutory framework is preferred.
• Ability to handle sensitive information discreetly and confidentially.
• Commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Responsibilities

• Manage and support fitness to practise cases appropriately and timely.
• Respond to enquiries from stakeholders and social workers.
• Collect evidence and initiate investigations and enforcement action.

Skills

Knowledge of regulatory or investigatory processes

Ability to work to strict deadlines

Excellent analytical skills

Ability to communicate effectively

Strong IT skills with good working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel

Job description

1 day ago Be among the first 25 applicants

The Role

At Social Work England, we are the specialist regulator for social work in England, committed to enabling positive change in the profession and improving lives across the country. Every day, social workers make a real difference, supporting millions of people to enhance their opportunities and wellbeing. We share a common goal with those we regulate – to protect the public, foster collaboration, and drive positive outcomes.

You will make sure that fitness to practise cases subject to a reviewable sanction are handled appropriately and in a timely manner. You will offer guidance to social workers to successfully manage their professional practice and address any identified concerns whilst working within our legislative timescales.

As part of the role you will provide administrative support to the wider team as part of a duty rota contributed to by the whole team.

What you will do

• Communicate regularly to support social workers to keep them up to date on their case, making sure that our monitoring procedures are applied, to ensure we have the best evidence at review hearings and that our hearing process is efficient.
• Respond to enquiries from people raising concerns and from social workers involved in cases. This will include social workers, internal and external stakeholders, including legal representatives.
• Provide guidance and assistance to social workers with conditions attached to their registration to monitor and review their progress.
• Collect evidence including admissible witness statements, where necessary. This will include gathering information from a number of sources, both internally and externally. You will use this evidence to initiate breach investigations and enforcement action where appropriate.
• Review and provide guidance and assistance to decision makers on sets of draft conditions of practice, highlighting best practice and any perceived issues with workability.
• Manage a caseload and escalte concerns as necessary.
• Identify serious and high‑risk cases within your caseload, ensuring that review hearings are scheduled efficiently. You will liaise with the appropriate teams to ensure hearings are prioritised and escalte potential issues accordingly.
• Process cases where conditions have not been met, ensuring that social workers and their defence representatives are given the opportunity to address any issues. Assist the Legal team in preparing the cases where conditions have not been met, including giving evidence if required.
• File and maintain all documents appropriately on the case management system.
• Use electronic systems to ensure accurate and reliable record‑keeping, and work within our data protection policy.
• Assist in the preparation, copying and distribution of case material and other relevant documentation.
• Accurately record and distribute all correspondence directed to the team and provide administrative support as needed.
• Deliver against agreed key performance measures according to legislative and statutory timescales.

Your Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Knowledge of regulatory or investigatory processes ideally gained within a casework, regulatory or statutory framework.
• Ability to work to strict deadlines and deliver on time, even with competing priorities.
• Ability to use set objectives to assess the progress and compliance of social workers.
• Excellent analytical skills and an ability to understand legal and procedural issues.
• Ability to handle sensitive information discreetly and confidentially.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a range of stakeholders, often addressing difficult and/or contentious issues.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to draft clear and comprehensive correspondence.
• Excellent organisation and time management skills.
• The ability to manage several tasks while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation.
• Strong IT skills with good working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.
• A demonstrable commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Details

• Job type: Fixed‑term contract until 10th May 2027
• Working pattern: Full time. Flexible working subject to business need.
• Salary: £34,085 per year, rising to £36,520 per year after successful completion of a 6‑month probationary period.
• Location: Sheffield / Hybrid
• Benefits: flexible working, contributory pension, life insurance and benefits portal.

Application

During the application process, you will be asked to provide answers to three questions from the job description. These answers will be what your application is scored on – please answer in as much detail as possible using examples where necessary.

Pre‑Employment Checks

If you are successful at interview, we will carry out a series of routine pre‑employment checks. These include verifying your references, confirming your right to work in the UK, and completing a Basic DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. These checks are conducted in partnership with our third‑party provider, Amiqus, who will guide you through the process. Please note that all offers of employment are subject to the satisfactory completion of these checks. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our recruitment team via [e-mail].

Contact

For inquiries about the recruitment process or to discuss the role, please contact [e-mail].

How to Apply

To apply, complete the application form by the closing date.