Social Worker - Corporate Parenting Service

Teams: Corporate Parenting Service - Seeking Sanctuary Team 1

Job Family: Supporting CBG9 / CBG10  

Salary: Level 1 (CBG9) - £33,731 - £36,397 per annum pro rata + per annum pro rata MRS's of £5,100 

             Level 2 (CBG10) - £37,282 - £38,826 per annum pro rata + per annum pro rata MRS's of £5,150 + £3,850 Enhanced MRS

                  Please indicate as part of your application which role you are applying for.

Hours: 37 hours per week for Social Workers.

Location: You will be expected to attend a CBC office location as often as needed to carry out your role, which will be no less than once per month

Contract Type: Hybrid - Permanent

Closing Date: 30th June 2025

Interview Date: If selected for interview you will be contacted directly

About the role:

At Central Bedfordshire Council, we're proud to be reshaping how we support families, children, and young people. We've recently launched a dedicated Corporate Parenting Service and are now looking for passionate and skilled Social Workers and a Senior Practitioner to join us on this exciting journey.

Many children and young people who arrive in the UK seeking sanctuary do so without an adult to care for them. These young people are often referred to as Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC)—defined as individuals under the age of 18 who are separated from both parents and not in the care of a legal guardian.

At Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC), we recognise the unique challenges these children face. That’s why our Seeking Sanctuary Teams are dedicated to supporting them from the moment they arrive. We guide them through the complexities of the asylum process, including their right to remain applications, and support their journey toward independence, education, training, and employment.

We have two specialist teams—comprised of Social Workers and Personal Advisors—who work with:

·         Children under 18 requiring immediate care and protection

·         Young people up to the age of 25 as part of our comprehensive Leaving Care offer

Every child deserves a safe, nurturing environment where they can thrive and enjoy their childhood. Whether or not they are granted long-term permission to remain in the UK, CBC is deeply committed to safeguarding and supporting these young people as they navigate the asylum process and build a future.  In addition to duties focussed to Seeking Sanctury support, within the course of duties and meeting service needs; there may be occasions where direct work with non -seeking sanctuary children and young people is required.

What Makes Us Different?

·         Relationship-based practice is the foundation of our work—we build strong, trusting relationships with children, families, and their support networks.

·         Our staff told Ofsted they feel supported and valued, thanks to visible and caring leadership, and robust training and development opportunities.

·         We are proud of our practitioners and their unwavering dedication to children in care. If you're creative, committed, and passionate about making a real difference, we want to hear from you.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking confident and motivated practitioners :

·         Build and sustain meaningful relationships with children, young people, and their support networks.

You’ll be joining a supportive team working with Children and Young People Seeking Sanctuary—placing them at the centre of everything we do.

What We Offer

·         Access to Systemic Practice and Motivational Interviewing training

·         Support to achieve Practice Educator qualifications

·         Opportunities to complete a post-qualifying Master’s in Child and Family Social Work

·         Regular personal and group supervision

·         Supportive managers, senior leaders, and a strong team ethos

·         Manageable caseloads so you can deliver outstanding work

·         Hybrid working

·         Family friendly policies and practice

Our Offer

We have a number of rewards and benefits available to our staff, to view these please visit our Rewards and Benefits page

Our aspiration is to be a truly flexible employer.  We welcome discussion on location, hours and working pattern as part of the application process.

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You will be expected to demonstrate how you meet the key accountabilities and competencies in this Recruitment Pack.

Our Competency Framework and Qualification Guidance are to be read in conjunction with our Recruitment Pack.

For an informal discussion about this position, please contact: Wellington Gubwe Team Manager at wellington.gubwe@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 5116

Safeguarding:

Central Bedfordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees, volunteers and contractors to share this commitment. This post is subject to the disclosure of criminal records.  

To maintain a fair and consistent approach for applicants, it is Central Bedfordshire Council's policy to only consider applications made via our online application system and we therefore thank you for not submitting your application offline.

Our National Careers Service team offer a free weekly workshop covering CV writing and how to complete the statement sections of the Central Bedfordshire Council online application form. This MS Teams workshop is open to anyone from the UK and lasts around 1.5 hours.  Please book your place here.

More information about this service can be found here: Support getting into work or learning | Central Bedfordshire Council