Returning to Social Work - Join Norfolk Institute for Practice Excellence (NIPE) for a supported return
Starting salary £37,280, rising to £39,862 on progression to Level 2 plus a relocation package up to £8,000 for those eligible
Full and part time
Permanent
Are you are considering a return to social work? We can offer tailored support to help you re-register and get back into practice.
Join an Outstanding local authority and be part of one of the strongest children’s services in the country. Following our recent Ofsted inspection, inspectors found that children in Norfolk receive “consistently strong services that impact positively on their and their families’ lives.” They described our practice as “child centred” and highlighted a culture where “children and care leavers come first.”
Read Ofsted's Inspection of Norfolk Children's Services March 2026 report
In Norfolk we’ve invested millions to completely change our operating model and create the professional and emotional support around you that you need to do the job you trained for, to get the best outcomes for children and families, and to achieve a work-life balance that suits you. We’re realistic about the challenges, but we’re passionate about how we can support you to meet them, so you can enjoy the rewards social work has to offer.
Our new operating model supports practitioners, with:
- Streamlined paperwork - so you can spend less time filling in forms and writing reports
- Two members of support staff for every social work team to reduce your admin
- Dedicated court work facilitators to support you
- Continuous development of the professionals that you as a case-holding social worker can call in to help you, including domestic abuse specialists, homebased support workers, substance misuse workers
- A Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS) team to triage cases to the right teams, so you can focus on where you can make the biggest difference
- We're working towards aligning mental health practitioners more closely to our teams. We have already seen reduced contacts, referrals, and a big reduction in the number of assessments which do not lead to ongoing work.
We are interested in people with a range of social work backgrounds who are keen to get back into practice and we can support your return whenever you are ready.
- If you need to re-register with Social Work England (SWE), we will employ you as a Social Work Assistant to gain the hours of experience you need and will help you to re-register.
- Once re-registered, or if you already have SWE registration, you will have the dedicated support of a Practice Consultant - a senior Social Worker whose specific role is to support you with your learning and development. You will receive a tailored plan of support that enables you to work on the areas where you need to gain skills or experience.
- We want your return to social work to be successful and build on the skills and strengths you already have. You’ll be part of a social work team to enable learning from colleagues and you’ll have the support of a Team Manager.
- You will receive regular supportive and reflective supervision on both an individual and group supervision basis and will have a protected caseload that will develop as you do, allowing time for you to learn and develop your practice confidence.
- When you are ready, you will progress to a Level 2 Social Worker and receive a significant pay increment. As a Social Worker within Norfolk Children’s Services, you will receive a range of development opportunities and access to various avenues for career progression.
- Norfolk takes a restorative approach to working with children and families, based on Signs of Safety, which means that while your direct work with children and young people will be central, you will also be working alongside families and their networks to help them find solutions that keep their children safe and well, long-term.
If you are committed to providing children and families with a first-class service and want your return to social work to be well supported, we would love to hear from you!
Please note: You will be required to travel as part of your role so it is essential you have a current UK driving licence and a vehicle before you start. If you hold a provisional licence but have not yet passed your test you are welcome to apply and will be interviewed if shortlisted. If successful at interview you will be offered a conditional place with a delayed start date to allow you to pass your driving test. We can delay your start date for a maximum of up to six months. If you do not pass your test within six months of your interview date, your conditional offer will be withdrawn.
Here are some of the benefits of working at Norfolk County Council:
- A supportive team who cares about your wellbeing and professional development
- We offer flexible working arrangements including condensed four-day week working, nine-day fortnights and other options
- We offer a generous annual leave entitlement - plus the opportunity to purchase up to two weeks of additional annual leave through our salary sacrifice scheme
- We offer maternity, paternity and adoption pay and time off to support you as your family grows. There is an independently run nursery within the Norfolk County Council grounds which offers priority spaces to our employees
- We offer support if you care for relatives or friends who are older, disabled or seriously ill
- We are committed to promoting the health, safety and wellbeing of our social workers. We provide access to services that support your health and wellbeing, such as confidential counselling and advice, fast-track physiotherapy and NHS Health Checks for employees over 40
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Young people are at the heart of our practice at Norfolk County Council. They have established key principles for their ideal worker to help them flourish. Please ensure you read these requirements carefully and apply only if you can fully commit to them.
For an informal discussion about returning to Social Work please email Ruth Pilch (Team Manager- Norfolk Institute for Practice Excellence) [email protected] .
Before you apply, we recommend reading the full Job Description and Person Specification to help you demonstrate you meet the criteria.
