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The salary scale for this full-time position is £49,464 per annum based on a 36-hour working week. We also offer a financial package of up to £6,000 which is payable in 3 instalments across your first 18 months in post.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full-time Senior Supervising Social Worker to join the Assessment Fostering Team in Surrey’s Fostering Service, based in Woodhatch. This role involves working in the community, foster carers homes (which may be outside of Surrey), the office and some home working.

Our Offer to You

• We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 31 days after 5 years' service (plus bank holidays)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

The primary focus of the role will be assessing connected persons foster carers and proposed special guardians, as well as completing assessments for temporary approval under Regulation 24, supervising Connected Persons Foster carers, and carrying out general tasks within the wider fostering team.

Self-motivated and accustomed to working to deadlines, you will have good IT and communication skills, with experience of establishing and nurturing multi-agency relationships.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Your experience of working with children and young people and a comprehensive knowledge of legislation relating to Looked After Children and Care Proceedings
• Your ability to be able to work directly with the wider public, foster carers and young people, and be able to produce clear, evidence based and analytical assessments
• Your flexibility to be able to work evenings and occasional weekends, as the role includes attending events and home visits outside office hours
• That you are a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and Social Workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Application Questions

To apply for this role you will be asked to upload your CV and respond to the following questions in support of your application:

1. What is your motivation to apply for this role?

2. What experience you can bring to this role?

3. What is important to you when working with fostering families and the children they care for?

Next Steps

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short first round virtual interview to explore your answers to the above questions (lasting approx. 15- 20 min). If successful following this, you will be invited for an in person interview, allowing you to meet the team, check out your potential office and get a feel for what your journey might look like.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment. That's why, if you're invited to a face-to-face interview, we'll share the themes of the questions with you in advance. This way, you can prepare and feel comfortable, allowing you to confidently discuss your skills and experiences.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact Lucy Hawkins via email lucy.hawkins@surreycc.gov.uk

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 19/07/2026 with interviews to follow. Please note the start date for this role will not be before September 2026.

An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria, as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.