Qualified Children's Social Worker

We are offering a £4,000 ‘Professional Joining Incentive’ if you successfully join one of our teams in this area.

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 will work within Private Law team, FCAs are involved where families require the assistance of the court to agree on the best child arrangements for the child(ren) involved. Family Court Advisors review court applications, gather information from partner agencies, conduct telephone interviews with parents and carers and assess risk to children, making safeguarding referrals where required.

The information is summarised within a Safeguarding Letter which provides the court with a child impact analysis and advice to support the Court’s decision making in the early stages of proceedings. Family Court Advisors also attend First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment hearings to advise the Court further.

FCAs can make recommendations leading to lasting change for children and families, which is why this it is responsibility we take seriously. And why we’re committed to creating a safe, healthy and supportive environment for our colleagues to practice.

FCAs will transitioning to the Child Focus Courts towards the end of the year, as part of the Initial Assessment and Screening team the practitioner and will be undertaking initial inquiries to consider what support and assessment level is required to enable the Court to achieve the best outcomes for children.

As a FCA at Cafcass, you will:

• Complete high‑quality assessments, engaging directly with children to understand their experiences, wishes and feelings — and ensure these are clearly and powerfully represented to the family court.
• Apply your expertise in risk assessment, analysis and mediation, 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.
• Have the Right to Work in the UK (we don’t sponsor people to work in the UK).
• Registered with Social Work England (or likely to be able to register quickly if practising outside England).
• Recent, relevant experience of working directly with children and families.
• It’s desirable you’ll have 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.

You can view the full job description in the vacancy documents.

Our Social Workers work flexibly across multiple settings, with a contractual office base in Liverpool, covering Cheshire, Merseyside and the Wirral.

Shared learning is very important to us, and we bring our teams together regularly, both remotely and in‑person, for team meetings and group supervision, which creates space to connect with peers and managers, reflect on practice, and feel supported.

You’ll also have regular 1:1 time with your manager, especially during your induction, and again there will be a balance between doing this remotely and in‑person, so you have opportunities to form in‑person connections.

If shortlisted, the hiring manager will be able to give you more insight into what a typical week or month might look like should you join us.

As the largest employer of Children’s Social Workers in England, we’re uniquely placed to support your professional growth and wellbeing.

• High‑quality…