Principal Social Worker - Intake & Assessment Council

Principal Social Worker – Intake & Assessment Team

Location:

Cardiff Salary:
Grade 9 – £45,091 – £48,226 + £5,000 Market Supplement

Contract:

Permanent / Full Time

Cardiff is one of the UK’s fastest-growing and most vibrant cities and is proudly the first UK city to be recognised as a UNICEF Child Friendly City. This means placing the rights, voices and wellbeing of children and young people at the heart of everything we do.

Cardiff Children’s Services is built on the belief that children achieve the best outcomes when supported to thrive within their own families. Our ‘Think Family’ model promotes a holistic, strength-based approach, working collaboratively with families and partner agencies to deliver meaningful, tailored support.

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled practitioner to join our Intake and Assessment Team in a pivotal leadership role.

Working closely with the Team Manager, you will:

• Champion strength-based and trauma-informed practice
• Lead on high-quality assessments, planning and interventions
• Ensure the child’s voice is central to all decision‑making
• Provide professional leadership, guidance and reflective supervision to staff
• Hold a protected caseload of complex cases, enabling you to remain connected to frontline practice and model best practice

This role offers a rewarding balance of leadership and direct work, with real influence over practice development and service improvement.

• Has strong leadership and supervisory skills
• Can support and develop practitioners within a busy assessment environment
• Works effectively with partner agencies to deliver high‑quality outcomes
• Is committed to promoting strength‑based, trauma‑informed practice
• Shares Cardiff’s vision of being a truly Child Friendly City

• Competitive salary Grade 9 – £45,091 to £48,226 + £5,000 market supplement
• Generous annual leave: 28 days rising to 33 days after 5 years, plus the option to purchase up to 10 additional days
• Flexible working culture with a flexi‑time scheme
• Hybrid working, balancing visits, office and home working
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• The opportunity to live and work in one of the UK’s most desirable cities