Senior Social Worker

Contract Type: Permanent

Contract Hours: 37 per week

Salary: Grade H3 SCP 36-40 £47,181 - £51,356 per annum

Closing Date: 25th August 2026 at 23:59pm

Assessment and Support Team 2

Are you an experienced and ambitious social worker looking to take the next step in your career? Do you want to work in a service that has been recognised by Ofsted for its transformational leadership, strong partnership working and commitment to achieving the very best outcomes for children and families?

Assessment and Support Team 2 is a well-established and supportive team within Blackpool's frontline services. You will work alongside an experienced Team Manager and Senior Social Worker, providing leadership, guidance and expert practice support to colleagues while continuing to undertake direct work with some of our most complex children and families.

Blackpool is a place of ambition, innovation and determination. Ofsted recognised that children and families benefit from consistently high-quality services, strong multi-agency working, and a workforce that is committed, motivated and supported to flourish. Inspectors highlighted the strength of our Request for Support Hub, robust decision-making, effective safeguarding practice, and a culture where social workers build meaningful relationships with children and families.

About the Role

As a Senior Social Worker, you will:

• Hold and support some of the most complex cases, including children subject to Public Law Outline and care proceedings.
• Present complex and analytical information to Legal Gateway meetings and support colleagues to develop confidence within this area.
• Provide day-to-day practice leadership through reflective discussions, mentoring and a daily drop-in offer for social workers.
• Support the development of less experienced practitioners, including ASYEs and newly qualified social workers.
• Chair strategy discussions and other meetings as required.
• Use performance and practice data, including Reports Manager, to support compliance, performance management and service improvement.
• Undertake practice observations, provide feedback and complete assessments and reports for ASYEs.
• Promote evidence-informed practice by researching and sharing emerging developments, legislation and best practice.
• Lead and participate in thematic audits, learning reviews and quality assurance activity, sharing learning across the team and wider service.
• Champion excellent child-centred practice that keeps children’s lived experiences at the heart of assessment, planning and intervention.

About You

We are looking for an experienced H2 Social Worker who:

• Has substantial frontline social work experience within children's services.
• Demonstrates strong assessment, analysis and risk management skills.
• Has experience of Public Law Outline, care proceedings and court work.
• Can confidently influence and support decision-making within legal and multi-agency forums.
• Is able to coach, mentor and develop others through reflective supervision and practice leadership.
• Understands the importance of performance management and quality assurance in improving outcomes for children.
• Is committed to continuous learning and evidence-informed practice.
• Shares our values of relationship-based practice, professional curiosity and ambition for children and families.

Why Blackpool?

Our recent Ofsted inspection recognised:

• A highly ambitious leadership team committed to improving the lives of children and families.
• Strong partnership working and a well-established multi-agency front door that supports effective decision-making.
• High-quality direct work and a strong focus on children's voices and lived experiences.
• A genuine culture of learning, development and continuous improvement.
• A committed and engaged workforce where practitioners are well supported by leaders and managers.
• The embedded Blackpool Families Rock practice culture, built around how we think, behave and work with children and families.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a service that is ambitious, innovative and committed to helping social workers thrive while making a real difference to children and families.

to view the Job Description.

Please click here to see the benefits of working for Blackpool Council.

Are you a Blackpool resident aged between 16-24? Would you benefit from some free guidance on producing a quality application for job vacancies such as this one? Blackpool Council?s Youth Hub - The Platform, has highly skilled Employment Advisers that can support you with demonstrating how you can evidence you meet the Essential and Desirable criteria requirements on a Job Description.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/vulnerable adults. This post is subject to satisfactory reference history of at least two years, Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, medical clearance, evidence of any essential qualifications and proof of Right to Work in the UK in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and amendments to the exemptions order, which mean that certain offences are ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed, guidance on the "filtering" of offences can be found at New filtering rules for DBS certificates (from 28 November 2020 onwards) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

For further information on the health and wellbeing support on offer during your employment, please see here.

Have you got what it takes to ride the Roller Coaster ride of Social Work in Blackpool? for further information on the career path and development opportunities available at Blackpool please see here.