Cheshire West and Chester Council is seeking a highly experienced and motivated Grade 11 Senior Social Worker to join our Children in Care Team based in Winsford and Northwich. This is a key leadership role within the service, where you will combine advanced social work practice with supervision, mentoring and operational support to help achieve the very best outcomes for children and young people in care.
As a Grade 11 Senior Social Worker, you will play a central role in driving high-quality permanence planning and practice for children and young people looked after by the Local Authority. Working within Cheshire West and Chester’s practice model, Our Way of Working, you will ensure children’s voices remain at the heart of assessment, planning and decision-making, with a strong focus on permanence, stability and long-term outcomes.
The council’s approach is underpinned by trauma-informed, relational, systemic and strengths-based practice. As a senior practitioner, you will model excellent social work practice, demonstrating professional curiosity, critical analysis and confident decision-making in complex situations. Alongside managing a small but complex caseload, you will support robust assessment, planning and risk management, ensuring permanence plans progress effectively and in line with statutory requirements.
Grade 11 Senior Social Workers play a vital role in practice leadership and workforce development. You will mentor and support less experienced colleagues, contribute to reflective supervision and work alongside the Team Manager to support quality assurance, service improvement and the day-to-day operation of the team.
You will be expected to role model high-quality practice, producing excellent assessments, plans, reports and court work, while supporting a culture of continuous improvement, reflective practice and shared learning.
Cheshire West and Chester offers a supportive and forward-thinking environment, with strong leadership, high-quality supervision and a well-established reflective practice framework. Senior Social Workers are key to sustaining this culture, championing child-centred practice and delivering positive, lasting outcomes for children and young people.
The introduction of Magic Notes has reduced written administration by an average of six hours per week, giving practitioners more time to focus on direct work, supervision and permanence planning, while improving staff wellbeing and retention.
The council is committed to professional development and progression, with many senior leaders having advanced through internal pathways. As a Grade 11 Senior Social Worker, you will have access to excellent training, leadership development opportunities and the chance to contribute to wider service improvement initiatives.
Benefits:
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- Bright, modern office environments
- Free parking at all office locations
- Competitive salary and reward package
- Up to 16 days’ flexi leave per year, in addition to annual leave
- Social Work England registration paid for by the council
- High-quality supervision and reflective practice
- Excellent training, leadership and development opportunities
- Clear progression pathways into advanced and management roles
Grade 11 Salary: Up to £54,992 per annum
Please see the Job Role Profile for further details.
For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Mark Davies Mark.Davies@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
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