Designated Social Care Officer

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

Are you ready to help shape brighter futures for children, young people, and families in a vibrant coastal city? Plymouth Children’s Services is on a journey of transformation- and we want passionate, skilled social workers to join us.

Plymouth City Council are recruiting a Designated Social Care Officer to take strategic lead and overall responsibility for shaping and developing the social care elements of the SEND strategy across Plymouth, promoting practice development within social care teams and agencies to meet the responsibilities set out within the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice.

The role will directly influence and inspire multi‑agency social care partners by sharing awareness, endorsing collaboration and developing practice to ensure the best possible outcomes for disabled children and young people with regards to their education, health and social care needs.

The Designated Social Care Officer will have a passion for SEND and in‑depth knowledge and understanding of both social care and SEND legislative and procedural frameworks to ensure that services are meeting their statutory responsibilities under the Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND Code of Practice 2015.

The Designated Social Care Officer will be instrumental in promoting a continuous improvement cycle within Plymouth and forge relationships, share knowledge and use collaborative working to drive organisational change. The role will promote improvement with professional understanding of the Education, Health and Care needs assessments and planning process, embedding a culture of co‑production with children, families and the agencies supporting them.

The purpose of this role will be to lead and influence others, building positive and effective partnership and working relationships with stakeholders and social care teams. The role will also represent social care at key regional and national events and will be a source of expert professional advice on the SEND reforms with regards to social care.

The Designated Social Care Officer will play a strategic role in developing and implementing SEND strategies and action plans within social care.

Team Managers promote the wellbeing of and safety of children and their families in our city by supporting practitioners to enable positive change and reduce harm.

Leading practice with families that upholds and defends each person's physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual integrity and wellbeing.

We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role.

The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is:

• DBS Children’s Barred List & DBS Adult’s Barred List.

For more information on the position please e‑mail, shaun.hanks@plymouth.gov.uk.

Closing date: Sunday 31 May 2026 Interviews: Tuesday 09 June 2026

Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation.

As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experiencing or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.

#J-18808-Ljbffr