Make a difference – Children Social Work in Cornwall

“Senior leaders and politicians are relentless in their drive to continue to improve the lives of Cornwall’s children and families”

Staff’s care, commitment and child focussed approach shine through when they talk about their work. This positive working environment helps to foster a culture in which an enthusiasm and commitment to do the best for children is found at all levels in the organisation.”

Ofsted, July 2024

The Service & Team:

We believe that the children of Cornwall deserve the very best. We put their needs at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking for people who share our determination to improve their lives and make a brighter future.

If you are committed to continuing professional development, and you believe in compassionate, relationship-based social work with children and families, we offer a fantastic opportunity to develop your social work career in an innovative and ambitious children’s service, in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.  

The Role:

The Department for Education (DfE) ASYE Programme is a one year, employer led induction programme which provides support and assessment to NQSWs working with children and families during their first year of employment as part of a continuing professional development program.   

A tailored yearlong induction in a frontline team                                                               
The support of a dedicated practice educator and a learning buddy 
A tailored learning plan reviewed throughout the year                                   
An outstanding core curriculum of evidence-based learning and development to enhance skills and practice.  
Bespoke practice workshops with NQSW colleagues across the service
Monthly ASYE peer support meetings 
A protected and gradually increasing caseload 
Regular reflective supervision  
This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies.  

This position will be subject to an enhanced criminal record disclosure check. 

What you’ll need to succeed:

To apply you must have qualified with a Social Work Degree within the last two years and Social Work England registration is essential.

The nature of this role requires travel to rural locations which are not serviced by public transport; therefore, a full clean driving license is essential. 

What you’ll get in return:

Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met. Find out more about working and volunteering for us.

In recognition of the vital contribution you make, in addition we offer an attractive package of benefits including: 

A competitive starting salary, and the opportunity to increase your pay further as you progress 
A generous relocation package 
An outstanding career and qualification pathway, recognised by Ofsted, which will support your progression.  
Access to an attractive Cornwall Council lease car scheme  
26 days paid annual leave per year (rising to 29 with length of service), plus bank holidays 
Flexible working and homeworking opportunities
Full license to access Community Care Inform and Research in Practice resources
Annual payment of your Social Work England registration fees

Additional Information:

Please note, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

The full role profile is attached here.

We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview.

For more information or an informal chat about the role please contact Tracey Davey at tracey.davey@cornwall.gov.uk

Application Process

We run 2 recruitment drives a year for ASYE Social Workers, we run recruitment rounds at regular intervals through out the year. 

We recommended that applicants apply for the round of recruitment which is immediately prior to their expected qualification date. 

Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as ‘Application’ on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process.

About Us
Cornwall Council deliver services to more than half a million local people and over five million visitors a year. Working here - Cornwall Council

We are happy to talk about flexible working options such as part-time or compressed hours. More examples of our flexible working opportunities can be found here - flexible working options.

Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g., race, disability, sex, gender reassignment status, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.

Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults at risk. It’s a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.