social worker jobs

Job title: Social Worker - Assessment or Safeguarding Service

A bit about us:

Liverpool is home to vibrant, energetic, and engaged communities, people who take real ownership of their local area and are passionate about making our city a better place. We've got ambitious targets to meet and we need people who are driven, dynamic and ready to deliver the very best for our communities. Public service is more important than ever, and this role represents a real opportunity to make a difference to our communities by transforming the way we work and placing our residents at the heart of everything we do.

Working at Liverpool City Council provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services.

We are proud of our world-famous thriving city with its rich culture, as well as affordable housing, good schools, beautiful green spaces – there’s really something for everyone!

Ofsted stated the following about our Children and Young People's Services in their recent monitoring visit: “The workforce is passionate, committed, and excited about the future. Staff care deeply about their young people and are ambitious for their futures…they feel well supported by their colleagues, managers, and senior leaders, whom they describe as approachable and visible.”

Our Practice Model – “Our City, Our Children, Together” – was chosen by colleagues, parents and carers, children, and young people to reflect our collective commitment to working collaboratively, it is more than just a practice model, it is a shared vision. Every part of this model has been co-produced with the people who access and deliver our services. It represents our values, our relationships, and our belief that, by working together, we can create the best outcomes for children, young people, and their networks. This is a model we can be proud of and one that truly belongs to all of us.

The Role:

• As a Children’s Social Worker, you will effectively manage a diverse caseload with children and families within our Assessment or Safeguarding Services
• As a Children’s Social Worker, you will be confident in undertaking direct work and completing high-quality assessments within set timescales
• The post holder, as a Children’s Social Worker, will be responsible for complex decision making, being able to clearly identify levels of risks, always ensuring the safety and welfare of children and young people, using your professional judgement, critical reflection, and evidence-based tools
• Our Social Workers will be innovative and creative in using a wide range of social work interventions to minimise risk and improve outcomes, ensuring that the child/young person’s voice is heard throughout
• You will be confident to build and maintain positive professional relationships, with excellent communication and engagement skills

We are currently not accepting newly qualified social worker applications for our ASYE programme. This will be a separate advert when we recruit for our next ASYE cohort.

Our offer to you:

• At least 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays rising to 32 after 5 years’ service (pro rata if part time) - option to purchase further days
• Agile working (role dependent) - a “Flexibility First” approach to agile working, where flexibility is the norm rather than the exception
• Part of the Local Government Pension Scheme – option to join the AVC Scheme
• Progression - opportunities and training through a wide range of high quality learning
• Health and Wellbeing - offer including Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work and Travel Pass Schemes
• Drive Time – a salary sacrifice car lease scheme
• Family friendly policies with enhanced leave
• Discounted Gym Memberships
• Employee Volunteering Scheme
• Medicash

Next steps:
Closing date: midnight on Sunday 4 January 2026
Shortlisting date: Monday 5 January 2026
Interview date: w/c Monday 12 January 2026
Interview format: face-to-face competency-based interview

We reserve the right to close vacancies earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. If interested, please complete an application as early as possible.

If you would like any further information or an informal discussion, please contact Harriet Cadman at harriet.cadman@liverpool.gov.uk.

Watch our recruitment video and see what life is like working at Liverpool City Council.

Liverpool City Council is committed to fostering a workforce representative of the communities we serve. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe in appointing candidates based on their skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities. To support this commitment, we guarantee an interview to candidates from under-represented groups who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role.

If you require any reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010, such as an application form in a different format or additional time to complete your application, please contact us at recruitment@liverpool.gov.uk.

Although we advertise on Jobs Go Public, and other websites, your application process will be directed to our Tribepad system. Please note that all communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered on Tribepad, including your invite to interview if you are shortlisted. Please check your emails regularly, including Spam/Junk, after the closing dates for notifications. Please ensure you complete your full profile, work and education history in Tribepad.

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for Visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying.

This is not legal advice, and we advise you to seek your own independent legal advice tailored to your own personal circumstances.