Be part of what we are achieving
Here in Southampton City Council Children and Learning Service we are proud to be compassionate and kind, to each other and to the families we are here to help. We are constantly learning, flexing and growing. The energy in the service to be better and do better on behalf of children, young people families and our diverse communities is invigorating and inspiring.
Following the promotion of the previous post-holders, we need 2 Senior Social Workers to support the Team Manager and Team on the improvement journey and as we continue to embrace the national social care reforms.
Relational Practice, systemic pathways
Relationships are everything. Permanence matters. This is why we have established an almost fully permanent workforce, and we are building systemic, reflective practice and leadership right across the service. We celebrate relational practice and we are investing in motivational interviewing.
Children, young people and families feel and know that they are held in mind. We are here to ensure they are safe and loved, and that we understand what they have been through.
Partnerships matter immeasurably. So, we are building these relationships creatively, with co-located domestic abuse workers in our family help and family safeguarding teams, and substance use workers and mental health practitioners alongside social workers supporting families where children have suffered harm. We are learning so much from each other and this is good for families.
The time and space to do your best work
A tight focus on caseloads and permanent skilled team managers enables our social workers to practice at their best. We care about our children and we will care about you.
We offer strong developmental opportunities for social workers, who thrive on helping children be the best they can be. We have career development routes through to management roles via ATM.
If you join us we will help you to build meaningful and influential relationships with children, families and partners. We hope this is why you came into social work! You will have a voice in a service that is hungry to learn from your experiences.
An aspirational service
We know we are not perfect, and we always strive to do better for children. But, we are proud of our achievements. In June 2023, Ofsted found that we were, ‘Good’ overall with ‘Outstanding’ leadership. We are working hard to be consistently good while always aiming higher.
In Southampton we are strongly invested in development of our workforce family. Our career development and talent management pathways will enable you to be part of our future.
Our practitioners and managers feel equipped to do what can be a really tough job through genuine support and meaningful challenge. Our excellent practice development team has huge energy for providing a vibrant learning offer.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a Social Worker with proven experience of statutory social work with children, including Child in Need, Child Protection and Child in the care of the Local Authority. We are looking for a practitioner who is reflective and assured in their own practice, and who has significant experience of complex statutory social work with children. You will be able to support families in a way that is trauma informed, compassionate, and built on a strong grounding in national good practice, legislation and evidence-based approaches.
You will believe in the strength of families to care for their own children with our help, and in children's right to family life. You will understand the need for safety and permanence and you will be confident in achieving this for children.
You will nurture and develop meaningful relationships with your colleagues, families and partners. You will enjoy working in an ethnically diverse work environment and a vibrant, diverse local community, You will be culturally competent, inclusive, respectful and kind, with a strong commitment to anti racist practice.
You will have a Diploma or Degree in social work and be registered with Social Work England.
Please refer to the attached job description for the essential and desirable elements to apply for these roles.
Our Location:
You will be based within Southampton city centre in the Civic Centre, a historical building within easy reach of a range of colleagues also based in the building. Flexible/remote/home working is available.
Our Organisation:
Southampton City Council is a unitary authority, you will have access to a permanent, visible, responsive senior leadership team which is supportive at all management levels.
We are committed to the development of all our staff, whilst working in a highly supportive and highly challenging culture. All of which is at the ethos of our ambition to become a child friendly city.
What we can offer you:
Salary: The salary band for this role is £47,181 - £51,357 per annum. The starting salary is £47,181 with annual progression through the salary bands.
Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.
- As Ofsted has stated in our inspection in June 2023 where we were judged 'Good', ‘Practitioners are supported by energetic and responsive frontline managers who maintain clear, confident and close oversight of children’s progress’.
- You will be provided with regular good quality 1-1 case and personal supervision that align to our systemic practice framework
- Laptop and Smart phones, and other equipment to enable office-based, flexible and remote working.
- Robust induction period and personal development plan that meets your training and development needs. You will have membership to Research in Practice as well as access to a comprehensive internal resource library.
- Excellent local government pension with 15.2% employer contribution
- Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
- Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
- Flexible working arrangements are available such as 9-day fortnight.
- Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
- Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
- Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
- Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
- Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
- Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
- Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
- Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer
For further information on our benefits package please visit: Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk)
Contact details for informal discussion:
For further information and details regarding the position please contact Donna Siley Team Manager [email protected] or Pauline McGarrity, Assistant Team Manger [email protected]
Interview Information:
Please note that interviews are scheduled for 6th & 7th August 2026
Recruitment contact details:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 023 8083 4033
For more information about SCC please visit Southampton City Council
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