Qualified Children's Social Worker

We are offering a £4,000 ‘Professional Joining Incentive’ if you successfully join one of our Essex teams. Further information about the incentive and its terms can be found in the vacancy document.

At Cafcass, we’re recruiting Children’s Social Workers who share our passion, commitment and ambition to facilitate positive outcomes for children involved in private and public law family court proceedings.

Our Social Workers — professionally known as Family Court Advisers (FCAs) — play a vital role. You may work in a Private Law team, a Public Law team, or a converged team covering both types of law.

Whichever team you join, the underlying role is the same: to speak on behalf of children and young people, ensuring their thoughts, wishes and feelings are not only understood but heard.

We are committed to creating a safe, healthy and supportive environment for our colleagues to practice.

• Complete high‑quality assessments, engaging directly with children to understand their experiences, wishes and feelings, and represent these clearly and powerfully to the family court.
• Apply risk assessment, analysis and mediation expertise, advocating for solutions that place the child’s safety, wellbeing and long‑term interests at the centre of decision‑making.
• Work with adults, local authorities and a wide range of professionals to help resolve complex issues and influence better outcomes for children.

We’re looking for practitioners who are confident, curious, compassionate and committed to excellent social work practice.

• A Social Work qualification is essential.
• Right to work in the UK (no sponsorship).
• Registered with Social Work England (or able to register quickly if practising outside England).
• Recent, relevant experience of working directly with children and families.
• Desirable experience in family court proceedings, or knowledge of Private and/or Public Law.
• For applicants with limited post‑qualifying experience, relevant pre‑qualifying experience supporting children and families may be beneficial.
• Strong organisational skills, professional resilience and the ability to work independently while effectively managing a varied caseload.

Our Social Workers work flexibly across multiple settings — including our office in Chelmsford, home, courts, schools and other appropriate, safe locations. We provide the technology required to do so.

The role requires travel within the East of England region, covering Essex, Southend and Thurrock.

• High‑quality equipment and technology to help you work efficiently and engage with families effectively.
• Access to specialist resources, guidance and training to strengthen your practice.
• A strong commitment to wellbeing, reflective supervision and healthy work‑life balance.
• An inclusive environment that values diversity, encourages learning and constantly strives to improve outcomes for children, families and colleagues alike.