Social Worker - Permanency
Full-time
Mid
Description
Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.
Looking to appoint to Grade H/I level.
Plymouth City Council’s Permanency Service is looking for 7 Social Workers and 2 Social Work Advanced Practitioners to join our service. To apply for these positions, you must be registered with Social Work England and able to demonstrate at least one year of post-qualifying experience with children and families.
We are seeking Social Workers who are inspired by our Corporate Parenting vision that ‘The ‘Sky is the Limit' for our children and young people who have a permanence plan of long term care. You will be a social worker who is aspirational for our children and young people and will work closely with partners to achieve permanence and the best outcomes for all children through high quality Assessments, Care Plans and Pathway Plans.
Our Ofsted focused visit in July 2025 reviewed the arrangements for care leavers as well as the progress that had been made since our previous ILACS inspection in January 2024. Ofsted found that Plymouth City Council is an ambitious Corporate Parent and we have secured many improvements for care experienced young people since our previous inspection. We listen to children and young people and keep them safe.
We are building on this further this year, responding proactively to the opportunities the Families First Partnership reforms give us to further improve outcomes for children and families. A recent redesign of our service has offered additional social work posts to enable us to reduce caseloads to 14 across the Permanency service to strengthen how we work with our children and families and carers. We are committed to maintaining manageable caseloads so that you develop strong relationships with our children and young people to support them in the ways they have told us are important to them.
We work in a trauma informed, restorative and strengths-based way with children and families to support sustainable change. Successful candidates will bring experience of children’s social work within a statutory context. You will bring a strong value-based practice approach rooted in empathy, kindness and compassion. You will ensure children’s voices are at the heart of everything you do. You will work well as part of a team as well as showing initiative and a problem-solving approach with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
We know that best practice takes the best Social Workers; You will be joining a service with a commitment to a ‘High Expectations, High Support, High Challenge’ culture. You will have a supportive team and with access to good quality supervision, have your learning prioritised by our Academy and opportunities for career development and progression. You will receive a competitive salary and a generous annual leave entitlement.
The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is:
Enhanced Check + DBS Children’s Barred List & DBS Adult’s Barred List
We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role.
For more information or an informal discussion please contact Jane Baines jane.baines@plymouth.gov.uk
Closing date:- Wednesday 03 December 2025
Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation.
As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.
Looking to appoint to Grade H/I level.
Plymouth City Council’s Permanency Service is looking for 7 Social Workers and 2 Social Work Advanced Practitioners to join our service. To apply for these positions, you must be registered with Social Work England and able to demonstrate at least one year of post-qualifying experience with children and families.
We are seeking Social Workers who are inspired by our Corporate Parenting vision that ‘The ‘Sky is the Limit' for our children and young people who have a permanence plan of long term care. You will be a social worker who is aspirational for our children and young people and will work closely with partners to achieve permanence and the best outcomes for all children through high quality Assessments, Care Plans and Pathway Plans.
Our Ofsted focused visit in July 2025 reviewed the arrangements for care leavers as well as the progress that had been made since our previous ILACS inspection in January 2024. Ofsted found that Plymouth City Council is an ambitious Corporate Parent and we have secured many improvements for care experienced young people since our previous inspection. We listen to children and young people and keep them safe.
We are building on this further this year, responding proactively to the opportunities the Families First Partnership reforms give us to further improve outcomes for children and families. A recent redesign of our service has offered additional social work posts to enable us to reduce caseloads to 14 across the Permanency service to strengthen how we work with our children and families and carers. We are committed to maintaining manageable caseloads so that you develop strong relationships with our children and young people to support them in the ways they have told us are important to them.
We work in a trauma informed, restorative and strengths-based way with children and families to support sustainable change. Successful candidates will bring experience of children’s social work within a statutory context. You will bring a strong value-based practice approach rooted in empathy, kindness and compassion. You will ensure children’s voices are at the heart of everything you do. You will work well as part of a team as well as showing initiative and a problem-solving approach with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
We know that best practice takes the best Social Workers; You will be joining a service with a commitment to a ‘High Expectations, High Support, High Challenge’ culture. You will have a supportive team and with access to good quality supervision, have your learning prioritised by our Academy and opportunities for career development and progression. You will receive a competitive salary and a generous annual leave entitlement.
The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is:
Enhanced Check + DBS Children’s Barred List & DBS Adult’s Barred List
We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role.
For more information or an informal discussion please contact Jane Baines jane.baines@plymouth.gov.uk
Closing date:- Wednesday 03 December 2025
Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation.
As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.