Children's Social Worker and Senior Social Worker

Job Description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Landmark House, Ipswich IP1 5PB - On-Site
• Salary: £37,280 - £47,054 per annum (pro rata for part time), plus, retention payment of up to £4,000 per year (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: Full time or part time hours available
• Contract: Permanent
  
  
  

Job roles available:

• Social Workers: £37,280 - £40,777 per annum, plus £4,000 annual retention payment (pro rata for part time)
• Senior Social Workers: £41,502 - £47,054 per annum, plus £3,500 annual retention payment (pro rata for part time)
  
  
  

Suffolk County Council (SCC) is a modern, flexible and forward-thinking organisation, committed to helping every child in Suffolk live their best life. As part of our Integrated Front Door, you'll work in a fast-paced, multi-agency environment alongside colleagues from social care, police, health and education, helping to ensure children and families receive the right support at the right time.

Join a profession that changes lives. As a Social Worker or Senior Social Worker, you'll play a key role in identifying risk, making informed decisions and coordinating effective responses for children and families across Suffolk. We value the expertise, commitment and professional curiosity our social workers bring and offer a supportive environment where you can develop your career while making a real difference every day.

Are you ready to reimagine what your social work career could be?

As a Social Worker with us, you will enjoy a dynamic work environment where your ideas are valued, your potential is nurtured, and your work makes a tangible difference.

• Hear from our staff about our Social Work teams .
• Find out more about Social Work within SCC Children and Young Peoples Services .
  
  
  

Shaping Careers and Learning

We understand that being a social worker can be a challenging role, which is why we offer:

• regular supervision sessions to provide guidance and assistance
• comprehensive training opportunities to boost your professional skills
• a structured career Progression Scheme to foster your growth.
  
  
  

This way, you can be confident in your abilities and provide the best possible care to those in need.

Additional Benefits

• Up to 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays per annum, pro rata for part time.
• An uplift of 3 additional annual leave days, pro rata for part time.
• 3 protected CPD days per annum.
• Access to a relocation package of up to £8,000, a car leasing scheme and a welcome loan of £2,000 for all new social workers moving to Suffolk.
• Free on-site car parking in all council buildings.
• Flexible working options and our commitment to supporting health and wellbeing.
• Detailed induction programme, including mandatory Signs of Safety training.
• Staff networks which are open to staff, councillors and partners that share similar characteristics, life experiences, values and beliefs.
  
  
  

What you will need

• A relevant social work qualification and Social Work England registration
• To hold a full and current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means.
  
  
  

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker , shaped by the voices of young people.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profiles (JPP) below, if you believe you can succeed in this role, please apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Discover More

• A day in the life of a Children's Social Worker.
• Find out about our beautiful county of Suffolk and see what a wonderful place it is to live and work, please visit welcome to Suffolk .
• Further information on what we will offer you .
• Sponsorship for a visa may be available for current UK residents. This role is based in Suffolk.
  
  
  

The team 

At Suffolk County Council, we aspire for every child to live their best life.

The Integrated Front Door is a fast-paced, multi-agency environment bringing together professionals from across the partnership – including social care, police, health and education – to ensure concerns are responded to quickly, consistently and effectively.

You’ll be part of a service that:

• Supports early decision-making and earlier help
• Works within a shared safeguarding framework and statutory duties
• Promotes joined-up, high-quality responses for children and families
• Plays a key role in Suffolk’s Families First approach.
  
  
  

This is an office-based role, five days per week. We believe that being together matters. Visible leadership supports better decision-making, stronger oversight, professional development and a culture where practitioners feel supported to do their best work.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker, shaped by the voices of young people: find out more .

Empowering Everyone 

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report .

For more information 

For an informal conversation, please contact Milly Clarke by calling 01473 263139 or emailing milly.clark2@suffolk.gov.uk or Sean Segal by calling 01473 260673 or sean.segal@suffolk.gov.uk .

How To Apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) below

• Social Worker JPP
• Senior Social Worker JPP
  
  
  

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the   Supporting Statement template .

Social Woker application questions

1- Describe a situation where you had to analyse complex or conflicting information to make an important decision about a child or family's needs. How did you reach your decision and what impact did it have?

2- The Integrated Front Door relies on effective partnership working. Please tell us about a time when you worked with multiple agencies to achieve a positive outcome for a child, young person or family. What challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

3 - Working within the Integrated Front Door requires the ability to manage competing demands and make timely decisions. Please describe how you organise and prioritise your workload when faced with multiple urgent concerns.

Senior Social Woker application questions

1- Describe a situation where you had to analyse complex or conflicting information to make an important decision about a child or family's needs. How did you reach your decision and what impact did it have?

2- The Integrated Front Door relies on effective partnership working. Please tell us about a time when you worked with multiple agencies to achieve a positive outcome for a child, young person or family. What challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?

3- Please provide an example of how you have supported, coached, supervised or provided professional guidance to colleagues. How did your involvement improve practice, decision-making or outcomes for children and families?

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page .

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences, so we encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the process. You can also read our Using AI in Your Application and Interview guidance to understand acceptable and unacceptable use of AI. If AI is used inappropriately, your application may not be progressed.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at  recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages . If you're invited to the next stage, you’ll have another chance to request adjustments.

Closing date: 11:30pm 16 September 2026

Interview date: Week commencing 28 September 2026

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

About Us

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
  
  
  

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .