Children's Social Worker

Are you a skilled and compassionate social worker looking to make a meaningful impact in children’s lives?

In this role, you’ll take the lead in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and young people. You’ll bring your expertise to complex cases, working closely with families, carers, and partner agencies to assess needs, develop effective care plans, and ensure every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and supportive environment. If you're confident in your practice, committed to positive outcomes, and ready to take on a challenging yet rewarding role, this is the perfect next step in your career.

About us

At Cheshire East Council, we are resident, and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.

For us, success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too!

Join us on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care at Cheshire East Council

We’re on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care and we’d love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward-thinking team that’s passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures.

If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our young people.

About the role:

• Responsible for working directly with children, young people, and families to assess needs and develop tailored support plans.
• Management of a varied caseload, including child protection, children in need, and cared for children.
• Involvement in safeguarding interventions and contribution to multi-agency planning and decision-making.
• Attendance at strategy meetings, case conferences, and court proceedings, as required.
• Maintenance of accurate and timely case records in line with statutory responsibilities and best practice standards.
• Opportunity to work within a supportive team environment that encourages reflective practice and ongoing professional development.
• We are currently recruiting to several teams, including Child in Need/Child Protection, Children with Disabilities, and the Cared for Children Team. Each team offers a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and families across Cheshire East.
• If you’re newly qualified and haven’t yet completed your ASYE, we offer a comprehensive and supportive programme to help you succeed. In your first year, you’ll benefit from:
  • A protected caseload,
  • Regular guidance from experienced Lead Practitioners,
  • Reflective peer network sessions,
  • Targeted training tailored to your development.

This is followed by our Year 2 Programme, which continues to build your confidence and skills through ongoing peer support and further input from Lead Practitioners, ensuring you feel supported every step of the way.

For successful ASYE applicants

To help us understand your learning needs and ensure you receive the right level of support, we will request your ASYE student portfolio, including practice educator reports, assessments, and any relevant supervision records. These documents will only be required after you have received a conditional offer, and our team will guide you through the process. This helps us place you within a team that aligns with your development and ensures a smooth transition into practice.

This is just a snapshot of some of the exciting things you’ll be doing in the role, to find out more about the other key responsibilities of the role please view the attached job description.

About you:

• You’re a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• You have experience working with children and families in a statutory setting.
• You’re a strong communicator who can build trust with children, families, and professionals.
• You’re committed to promoting positive outcomes and safeguarding children.
• You value teamwork, support, and professional development.

To find out more about the essential and desirable criteria for the role please view the attached job description specification document.

What we offer in return:

• A competitive salary - Between £38,220 per annum - £41,771 per annum (CEC NJC – Grade 8-9 DOE) with guaranteed yearly pay increases!
• Enhanced annual leave- Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave(including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
• Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra daysof annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work weekwith the added perks of flexitime
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme- Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’re no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
• Enhanced public pension- Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
• Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
• Employee assistance programme- Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
• Discounted gym membership -Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
  • Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
  • Off-Peak Racket Sports
  • Athletics Tracks
  • Sauna/Steam/Spa

Organisation

Cheshire East Council

Location

Macclesfield, Crewe

Job Category

Children and Young People Services

Grade

CEC NJC - Grade 8

Salary Min

£38,220 per annum

Salary Max

£41,771 per annum

Hours per week

37

Weeks per year

52.143

Employment Type

Permanent

Closing Date

11/02/2027

Ref No

E2733

Documents

• Social Worker (non-progressed) Job Description and Specification.pdf
  (PDF, 1589.93kb)

How to apply

We’re delighted that you’re considering applying for this role!

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We believe that a diverse workforce helps us better reflect and serve our local communities, and together, we can build something truly special.

To join our team, simply click ‘Apply for this job’ at the bottom of the page. If you’d prefer an informal chat first or have any questions about the role, feel free to reach out to Janet Bullockat: Show email, she’ll be happy to hear from you! Please remember to include the job reference so we know which role you are interested in. 

When applying for this role, if you have a specific team or area of interest, please include this within your application.

Once you’ve applied for the position, please keep an eye on your email inbox (including your junk and spam folders), as we’ll send any correspondence there to stay in touch with updates about your application.

If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, it likely means we weren’t able to move forward with your application at this time but please don’t let this discourage you as your interest means a lot to us, and we’d truly love to hear from you again in the future!

We wish you all the best in your application and if you run into any technical issues, our friendly team are here to help at: Show email. 

Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough. As such, any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings that are ‘not protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 (as amended in 2013) relating to the non-disclosure of spent convictions do not apply to this job. You must therefore, disclose whether you have any previous convictions where prompted to do so within the application process.