About this role
| Salary £37,563-£42,123 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Pro Rata
Are you an experienced and passionate Social Worker looking for a rewarding role where you can make a lasting difference to children's lives?
The Lancashire County Council Fostering Service is seeking an experienced and motivated Assessing Social Worker to join our dedicated Fostering Assessment Team. This is a varied and fulfilling opportunity to help identify, assess and support individuals and families who can provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children across Lancashire.
About the Role
As an Assessing Social Worker, you will play a key role in recruiting and assessing foster carers and kinship carers, ensuring children have access to high quality family-based care.
Your responsibilities will include:
Undertaking comprehensive, analytical and evidence-based assessments of prospective foster carers and kinship carers.
Completing initial visits, viability assessments, Regulation 24 assessments and full fostering or kinship assessments.
Preparing clear, balanced and professionally reasoned reports for Fostering Panels, Agency Decision Makers and the Family Court where required.
Engaging directly with applicants, children, family members and partner agencies.
Facilitating preparation groups and training sessions for applicants and their families.
Supporting recruitment events, information sessions and community engagement activities.
Working collaboratively with Children's Social Care colleagues, legal services and partner organisations.
Maintaining accurate records and ensuring assessments are completed within statutory and service timescales.
What We're Looking For
We are looking for a Social Worker who is:
Passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people.
Skilled in undertaking complex assessments and analysing strengths, risks and protective factors.
An excellent communicator with strong relationship-building skills.
Confident in producing high-quality assessment reports and recommendations.
Able to manage competing priorities and work to tight timescales.
Comfortable presenting assessments and recommendations to fostering panels and courts when required.
Able to work independently while contributing positively to a supportive team environment.
Essential Requirements
Social Work qualification (Degree in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent).
Registration with Social Work England.
Relevant post-qualifying experience working with children and families.
Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use (subject to reasonable adjustments where applicable).
Why Join Us?
Be part of a county-wide team making a direct difference to children's lives.
Work on a diverse range of assessments, including mainstream fostering, kinship care and Special Guardianship assessments.
Join a supportive and experienced fostering service committed to professional development.
Help shape the future of fostering across Lancashire.
For an informal and confidential discussion about the role, please contact:
Kevin Goosey
01257 517294
Apply today and help create brighter futures for children and young people across Lancashire.
You must be registered (SWE) to be appointed as a Social Worker or have applied to register with the Social Care Council. For Social Worker/Care Manager positions where non social worker qualifications are accepted, registration is not required, and you will be appointed as a Care Manager.
You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability.
The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.
Local Government Reorganisation
The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.
If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.
Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.
Job Description and Person Specification