Children's Social Worker Level 2 and 3 Children and Families First Team

Community Care Live; Christchurch; On-site; GBP 42,000 - GBP 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A Local Council is seeking Children's Social Workers for the Children and Families First Team in Dorset. The roles involve working with families to support children at risk and applying a restorative practice framework. With competitive salaries ranging from £42,839 to £53,460, the council offers excellent career development opportunities and benefits such as flexible working arrangements and 28 days annual leave. Applicants must have experience in safeguarding social work and a commitment to children's well-being.

Benefits

Local Government Pension

Potential Relocation Scheme

28 days annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Employee Assistance Programme

Clear career progression

Qualifications

• Significant experience in frontline safeguarding social work.
• Ability to manage complex referrals and casework.
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills.

Responsibilities

• Work with families where children have been assessed as being in need or at risk of harm.
• Support child in need and child protection plans.
• Use restorative practice framework and interventions.

Skills

Frontline safeguarding social work

Analytical skills

Decision-making skills

Conflict resolution

Mentoring experience

Continuous professional development

Job description

Overview

Children's Social Workers - Level 2/3 - Children and Families First Team

Salary Band 10 - Starting Salary £42,839 & Band 11 - Starting Salary £47,181

Social Workers (Level 2 & 3) – Children and Families First Teams

Location: Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP), Dorset
Salary: Competitive + Local Government Pension + Potential Relocation Scheme
Contract: Full-time & Part-Time, Permanent

Make a real difference in children’s lives. Join us at BCP Council.

We’re proud to have achieved a GOOD Ofsted rating (Dec 2024), and we’re on an exciting improvement journey. Now, we’re looking for experienced, passionate Social Workers to join our Children and Families First Teams and help us deliver outstanding care and support to the children and families who need us most.

Why BCP?

Our workforce says it best: “I’ve never felt so supported.” “BCP is like one big family… which is really rewarding.” “You can do lots of different direct work with children – last year I even went crabbing with a family on the beach. It was amazing!”

Check out this video: A day in the life of three social workers at BCP Council on Vimeo

About the Role

Safeguarding is everyone’s business. While initial risk assessments take place in the Assessment Service, our Children and Families First teams provide longer-term intervention for families where level 4 support is needed to reduce risk and achieve positive change.

You’ll work with families where children have been assessed as being in need or at risk of harm. This includes supporting children subject to child in need and child protection plans, and in some cases, children at the early stages of being looked after.

Our teams use a restorative practice framework and a range of interventions to address and reduce risk. Key areas of focus include co-production, safety planning, strong relationships with children, early permanence planning, and legal interventions where children are not considered safe in their family.

There are 6 Children and Families First teams, each consisting of a Team Manager, Assistant Team Manager, 7 Social Workers, and a Family Support Practitioner. All statutory teams are co-located at the Civic Centre, Bournemouth, but work flexibly across the BCP area.

What We’re Looking For

• Significant experience in frontline safeguarding social work
• Ability to manage complex referrals and casework
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills
• Experience mentoring less experienced staff or students
• Commitment to continuous professional development
• Willingness to undertake Practice Education training if not already qualified

You’ll also need to be able to travel across the BCP area.

What We Offer

• Full induction & Practice Fundamentals support
• Clear career progression & excellent learning opportunities
• Manageable caseloads & regular supervision
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
• Flexible working arrangements in refurbished offices
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Relocation Scheme
• Staff network groups

Ready to Join Us?

If you’re reflective, proactive, resilient, and passionate about putting children’s voices at the heart of everything you do, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about our new terms and conditions in our brochure on our careers site. For an informal discussion, contact Vanessa Johns, Service Manager for Children and Families First and PLO & Court at [e-mail].

Visit our BC Partnership Academy website for more details.

Apply today and help us make a difference.

Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.

The pay range for this role will be £42,839–£53,460 (pro rata for part-time colleagues). We’re looking forward to welcoming new colleagues under this refreshed framework of pay, terms, and conditions. To promote fairness and consistency, all new starters will begin at the bottom of the pay band. This reflects our commitment to equity across the organisation and aligns with the approach taken with existing staff during the transition. While the starting salary is fixed, the role offers excellent scope for growth, meaningful contribution, and being part of a forward-thinking team.

The Recruitment & Retention Supplement for this role may be up to £3,249 per annum (pro rata for part-time colleagues). Recruitment and Retention Supplements are in addition to the base salary. They are temporary and awarded solely at the discretion of BCP Council, in accordance with our Interim Salary Supplement policy, which will be replaced by the new Pay and Allowances policy being introduced on 1 December 2025.

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, world-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

Be the difference - Join an organisation that values you

More About us | Working for BCP

DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.