Senior Social Worker – Over 16s Team

Overview

We are currently recruiting a Senior Social Worker to join our 16+ Team within our Corporate Parenting Service supporting young people in care aged 16-18 years old, working alongside Personal Advisors post 18, or maintaining relationships post 18 for those young people who require additional support.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker to join our dynamic Leaving Care Service. You will work within one of four supportive teams, each comprising a Team Manager, a Senior Social Worker, a Social Worker, and a group of Personal Advisers.

In addition to the advertised salary, you will receive a market premium of £2,750 per annum.

You will also be entitled to a Golden Hello payment of £2,125 after 1 years service (external candidates only)

Take a look at our Children's Social Care Candidate Pack to find out more.

About the role

As a Senior Social Worker, you will undertake complex, relationship-based work with care leavers aged 16–25, ensuring they receive consistent, high-quality statutory support as they transition into adulthood. You will also play a key leadership role within the team, contributing to professional development, reflective practice, and service stability.

In this role, you will:

• Build trusting, meaningful, and enduring relationships with care leavers aged 16–25.
• Lead on comprehensive assessments, risk management, and safety planning to safeguard young people.
• Co-produce realistic, progressive, and aspirational Pathway Plans that reflect each young person’s goals and strengths.
• Provide expert guidance and advocacy across housing, health, education, employment, finance, and wellbeing.
• Support young people to develop and sustain safe family, kinship, and community connections.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners to ensure a holistic and coordinated approach.
• Provide learning support and oversight to Social Workers and Personal Advisors in the team, ensuring oversight in the absence of the Team Manager.
• Offer professional leadership to colleagues through mentoring, coaching, and modelling reflective, restorative practice.
• Provide interim managerial cover in the absence of the Team Manager, supporting service continuity and decision-making.
• Chair key meetings relating to young people’s plans, ensuring high-quality multi-agency coordination.

About you

You are a committed and experienced social work professional with a passion for making a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable children and young people. You thrive in a role that blends direct practice with leadership support, bringing confidence, empathy, and resilience to every situation.

To succeed in this role, you will have:

• Substantial experience working directly with vulnerable children and young people.
• Strong assessment, planning, and case management skills.
• The ability to mentor and support other professionals.
• Excellent communication skills and experience working with multi-agency partners.
• SWE registration and ongoing CPD.
• A full driving licence and the ability to travel across the county.

Other information

If you would like to know more about this role, please contact Nichola Gallagher at [email protected]

Closing Date: Midnight on Tuesday 28th April 2026

Interview Date: W/C 4th or 11th May 2026.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements.

We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants and shops, a generous employer pension contribution in line with the Local Government Pension Scheme, discounts on gym memberships and more - https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/

Social Workers are also entitled to a generous enhanced reward package, as follows:

• Competitive salary with a market increment
• A ‘Golden Hello’ lump sum payment upon successful completion of probation
• Annual leave up to 30 days per year, as well as other types of leave and the opportunity to buy further leave
• Up to 15 days per year training, learning and development offer
• Free parking across all of our office sites 

If you are interested in relocating to Buckinghamshire and working with us, relocation packages are also available.