Qualified Children's Social Worker

Please note: If you apply on or after Sunday 14 December, we will try to prioritise your initial telephone interview ahead of the festive period. If we are unable to do accommodate this, we will communicate with you to organise an interview early in the new year.

We are hiring Children’s Social Workers for our Public and Private Law teams
.

Public Law teams are involved with cases where the local authority has serious concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, and the court requests for Cafcass to become involved in the case. The Cafcass Social Worker, (or as we will professionally call you
- Family Court Advisers
) is typically involved with the child across an extended period carrying out relevant assessments to understand their needs, wants and feelings, and effectively communicate this to the court through a combination of written reports and giving evidence.

Early Intervention Team (Work To/After First Hearing), you’ll use your social work skills and experience to understand what the child needs, wants and feels. You’ll then advise the Family Courts on the best course of action for the child by providing confident, powerful and succinct written case analysis and make recommendations to the court. You’ll also attend court and be an advocate for the child, ensuring their voice is not lost.

• Conducting assessments and directly engaging with children to understand and represent their views and wishes to the court.
• Using expertise in robust risk assessment and mediation will be essential as you advocate for arrangements that prioritise the best interest of the children.

• Relevant Social Work qualification is essential
• You must be registered with Social Work England (Cafcass reimburses the annual cost)
• You’ll have demonstrable, relevant experience of working with children and families in a social work setting
• Experience in Family Court proceedings and understanding of Private and/or Public Law would be an advantage
• Organised and resilient with ability to work independently and manage workload effectively

Our teams work flexibly and remotely, so your location is not always a critical factor. While the office locations are in Exeter and Plymouth, proximity to these locations is not essential. We’re happy to discuss your preferred working arrangements in more detail during the interview process.

Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

5 January 2026

To be confirmed

To be confirmed

In anticipation of your successful application, we encourage you to review our offer and pre‑employment checks process. You are welcome to raise any questions or concerns about these checks during your application, with the assurance that this information will remain confidential. Successful applicants will undergo various pre‑engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS).

We look forward to receiving your application!

We are Cafcass – the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service – and we represent children in family court cases in England. Independently advising the family courts about what is safe for children and in their best interests, we speak up for over 140,000 children every year when the family court makes critical decisions about their futures, ensuring their needs, wishes and feelings are heard.

The wellbeing of our colleagues is something we are truly passionate about. We provide dedicated time, cash plans, professional support and a culture that supports physical, mental and financial health for everyone.

We represent children and families from diverse backgrounds and welcoming applicants from all backgrounds. We are a disability confident leader and commit to actively recruit people with disabilities, including non‑visible disabilities and mental health conditions.

• Generous holidays – 28 days holiday (plus 3 for Christmas) rising to 33 days with five years continuous service
• Excellent pension – 18.1% employer contribution to the Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working – hybrid office/home arrangements and accommodation of flexible requests
• Exclusive discounts – wide range of leisure, technology, travel and retail
• Professional fees – Social Work England membership fees reimbursed
• Car leasing scheme – competitive rates through a third party
• Wellbeing support – dedicated time, cash plans and confidential 24/7 help

Additional information and policies are available upon request.