Newly Qualified Social Worker

Organisation:Leicestershire County Council

Work Location:Various locations across the County

Worker Category:Field Based Worker

Salary:£32,070 until Social Work England registration is approved, increasing to £34,359 per annum (pro‑rata for part‑time) (plus Market Premium of £3,283) once full Social Work England registration is granted

Working Hours:37 hours per week

Contract Type:Permanent

Closing Date:4th January 2026

Interview Date(s):25th February 2026

Have you been qualified as a Social Worker or are you due to qualify? Do you want to work with Leicestershire’s “Outstanding” Children and Family services? We are welcoming applications from candidates with the enthusiasm to learn and a passion for working with children and families.

About the Role

We value and support our Newly Qualified Social Workers. We believe the foundations of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) are paramount to building confident Social Workers and so we are really proud of our ASYE Program and the support we offer to Newly Qualified Social Workers in helping them develop and advance their careers with us.

As a Newly Qualified Social Worker on our ASYE Program, you will receive:

• Entry‑level pay at Grade 9 (£32,070) until full Social Work England registration is achieved, with an increase to the top of Grade 9 (£34,359), plus Market Premium of £3,283) upon registration.
• Protected and reduced caseloads during the ASYE year.
• Dedicated support from the ASYE Co‑ordinator, regular network meetings with other ASYEs.
• Monthly reflective supervision with a practice mentor, in addition to supervision with your team manager.
• Intensive induction and tailored ASYE training.
• Working as part of the social work teams to increase knowledge and understanding including co‑working with experienced colleagues.

For further information about our ASYE Program, including helpful videos and testimonials, please visit our website.

We currently have vacancies across various service areas, which will be discussed with you at interview.

To apply for this post, you must respond to and evidence the following 7 essential criteria within your personal statement. This should be no more than 1,000 words.

Please note that previous applicants need not re‑apply as all prior submissions have been reviewed

• Hold a Social Work degree or equivalent (e.g. CQSW, DipSW) specialising in children’s services within the last two years or expect to qualify within the next year. You must also be registered with Social Work England or expect registration upon qualifying.
• Hold a full, valid, UK driving licence (or be able to convert your current licence) AND have access to a vehicle.
• Have experience of working with children and families, knowledge of childcare legislation and Local Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures, particularly in relation to child protection and child in need. Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theoretical underpinning of social work practice and models used.
• Have an awareness of the cultural, racial, linguistic, and religious backgrounds of children, young people, and families applying equal opportunity principles in practice across your work.
• Hold strong assessment skills, capable of analysing information to make sound decisions which offer support and are impactful and be able to demonstrate this via examples.
• Have excellent prioritisation and time management skills to ensure the successful delivery of competing and changing work demands and be able to demonstrate this via examples.
• Be proficient in IT, with sound knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and database applications to ensure clear, accurate and age‑appropriate communication with children, families, carers and external agencies/other service providers that support collaborative ways of working both orally and in writing.

We’d also expect you to share our commitment to our values and will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the interview process.

You must also have an understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Please note that an Enhanced DBS check is…