Social Worker - UASC

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: £43,222 - £45,982 (inclusive of market premia at £3,283) per annum (pro rata for part-time) (Pay award pending)

Working Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent / Fixed-Term for 6-12 months maternity cover with the possibility of securing a permanent role at the end of the fixed term.

Closing Date: 24th April 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

Please note we have 3 vacancies - please indicate in your application which of the roles you are applying for.

We have 3 roles available - 2 are full time permanent roles in the UASC team, and the remaining 1 would be full time fixed term based in the UASC team for a 6-12 month period of maternity cover, with the possibility of moving to a permanent Social Work role which could be elsewhere across the department at the end of the fixed term.

About the Role

Exciting opportunities are available in the Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children’s Team. Working in the UASC Team gives you a chance to support young people who have faced the trauma of war, exploitation, smuggling and trafficking and help them build their lives in the UK. It is hugely rewarding and a fantastic learning opportunity.

Whilst the skills needed in this team are similar to working with any children and young people, if you are fascinated by diversity and keen to offer a sense of belonging to those who have lost everything, you would be well suited to this role.

We have vacancies for Age Assessment Social Workers and Children in Care. Age Assessment Social Workers focus on completing the challenging yet crucial role of age assessments on young people. You would be part of a specialist team completing this bespoke work.

You would be joining our passionate and dedicated service of Social Workers and Personal Advisors who are very experienced and knowledgeable in this area and are very supportive and approachable.

An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

About You

To apply for this post, you must have/be:

• Degree in Social Work approved by Social Work England (SWE) or equivalent social work qualification i.e. Certificate of Qualification in Social Work or Diploma in Social Work with a specialism in children's services. The successful applicant must also be registered with Social Work England, and be able to evidence continuing professional development (including self-development) with an ASYE programme pass as a minimum.
• Post-qualification experience of working with children and families, and experience of statutory child care social work including safeguarding, child protection and care proceedings.
• Knowledge of the issues affecting young people who seek asylum in the UK and how their needs can be best met in Local Authority care and as care leavers.
• Awareness of the cultural, racial, linguistic and religious background of children, young people and their families.
• Experience or knowledge of undertaking age assessments on unaccompanied asylum seeking young people.
• Knowledge of child care legislation and LSCB procedures, knowledge of the Signs of Safety practice model and how this can be used, knowledge of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, and an understanding of published serious case reviews and impact on work.
• Ability to complete statutory tasks within time frames and demonstrate child-centred practice, and the ability to analyse information to reach sound decisions, often under pressure, and take responsibility for their outcome with regular reporting to the Team Manager.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Surjan Sharma - Team Manager

Telephone: 0116 305 3051

Email: Surjan.Sharma@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

About us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it’s like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process
Our Organisational Values
Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us