Social Worker Looked After Children

Job Introduction

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This fixed term role has a starting salary of £43,633 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We have a great opportunity to join our Looked After Children’s team as a Social Worker

We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for X days per week on average 40% of the working week and support working from home and visiting children and families the rest of the time.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About The Role

We are seeking a dedicated and passionate Social Worker to join our Looked After Children (LAC) service. In this role, you will work closely with children and young people who are in the care of the local authority, making sure their voices, wishes, and feelings remain at the heart of all decision-making.   You will manage a varied caseload, promote placement stability, support permanence plans (including foster care, kinship care, or adoption), and help older adolescents successfully transition into independence and leaving care services

Your key responsibilities will be

• Manage an allocated caseload of looked after children and young people.
• Carry out statutory visits, comprehensive assessments, and up-to-date care planning.
• Chair and contribute to Looked After Child (LAC) reviews, multi-agency meetings, and court proceedings where required.
• Formulate and implement pathway plans for older youth preparing for adulthood.
• Collaborate closely with foster carers, residential staff, family members, and health/education professionals.
• Ensure all case records are maintained accurately in line with statutory and departmental guidelines
• Contribute to the team through link working with other professionals or leading on local and national initiatives.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Qualified Social Work degree and SWE Registration
• Car driver with a valid UK license
• Experience of working within Children Looked After or other areas of children’s services
• An ability and motivation to work directly with children and families
• Understanding of relevant legislation affecting working with children, including the Children Act (1989) and the Children and Families Act 2014
• A commitment to working with children to improve the quality of their lives
• Excellent written and communication skills and ability to use information technology well

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

1. Please tell us what has motivated you to apply for this role?
2. Please tell us about the key skills and experience you will be able to bring to this role.
3. Please tell us about an example that demonstrates how you have built long lasting relationships with children.
4. How do you work with children and their families who need support to change

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 29/11/2026 with interviews planned to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact our dedicated CFLL Workforce Team via email at cfllworkforceteam@surreycc.gov.uk.

Local Government Organisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1st April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is West Surrey Council, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

Attached documents

• Social Worker - Job Description.pdf - Social Worker - Job Description

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