Qualified Children's Social Worker

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 the Private Law team where families require 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.

• Complete high‑quality assessments, engaging directly with children to understand their experiences, wishes and feelings, and ensure these are 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.
• 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 the office in Manchester, home, courts, schools and other appropriate, safe locations—and we ensure you have the technology to do this.

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

• 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.

You can find more about how we support our practitioners on our website, and we’ll share more during the selection process.

If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact N

Before applying, we encourage you to read about our offer and pre‑employment checks. Any questions or concerns can be confidentially raised through your application.

Successful applicants will complete several pre‑engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If any criminal offences are disclosed, we will conduct an individual assessment in line with the DBS code of practice and the Cafcass DBS policy.

We look forward to receiving your application!