• Vacancy Reference Number
    2102
  • All Departments
    Children and Young People
  • Advertising Salary
    £42,912 - £51,228 (SO2/PO3)
  • Contract Type
    Permanent
  • Hours Per Week
    35
  • Working Pattern
    Full time

About The Role

Job overview

Are you a qualified social worker interested in professional development opportunities and the ability to practice to the best of your ability within a supportive, innovative Outstanding Local Authority? If so, Islington is looking to recruit enthusiastic and talented social workers to our Children in Need Service and our Disabled Children’s Team. Please note, this opportunity is not for newly qualified Social Workers, which is recruited to separately as part of our ASYE academy.

Main duties of the job

As a Children and Family Social Worker you will bring experience of assessing risk and making plans to safeguard and care for children. Additionally, you will be responsible for progressing plans for sustainable change with families, stepping up to care proceedings or stepping down to targeted services where necessary, ensuring plans for all children are in place that provide for their safety, stability and permanency.

You will be accustomed to employing social work principles such as dignity, respect, empathy, and strength based collaborative approaches to service delivery.

You will understand the impact of trauma on children and their families, and the implications of this for their ongoing needs.

Motivational interviewing (MI) skills are the cornerstone of social work practice in the Children Services in Islington. In order to help us select the best candidates, Islington have developed a two-stage interview process, with the first stage being an opportunity to test out applicants' MI compatibility. Candidates are not required to have advanced MI skills, rather we are seeking to identify those who have the capacity to learn and develop these skills with the advanced training and feedback. Further details will be provided to all candidates who are shortlisted and offered an interview.

The benefits of this post include:

Retention bonus, Zone 1-2 Travel Card, protected case load, specially designed core training package, professional development opportunities, regular reflective supervision, practice evaluation, Local Government Pension Scheme and generous holidays, flexible working arrangements, an experienced management team, and a great working location in Islington.

Closing date: Sunday 26th October 2025 at 23:59

Proposed Motivational Interview: Monday and Tuesday 3rd and 4th November 2025
 
Working for your organisation

Islington was rated as Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2020. Ofsted has reported “Children in Islington benefit from services that have gone from strength to strength... Senior leaders and members of the council demonstrate an unwavering commitment to improving and enriching the lives of children and their families. This is evidenced by the significant and sustained investment in children’s services, and by the wide range of highly successful initiatives that are having a positive impact on children and their families, whatever their level of need. Highly skilled and experienced staff listen carefully to children to understand their needs and ensure that plans are effective”.  

What is Motivational Practice?

Motivational Practice is Islington’s Practice Model. There are core elements that underpin the practice framework that provide a set of skills around how to communicate in a helpful way with families that leads to a plan for change. Empathy underpins any form of effective work with people and motivational practice aims to build effective working relationships with families being able to identify their own reasons for change. 

What Islington Will Offer You:

  • Protected caseloads and reduced bureaucracy will allow more intensive work with families; more frequent visits, and the opportunity to build transformative relationships and undertake more direct work.
  • A specially designed core training package to deliver goal based interventions, use evidenced based tools, develop reflective and thoughtful risk assessment, and to measure progress.
  • Availability of an intensive multi-disciplinary service to enhance social work intervention where the concerns for the child are high risk.
  • Social workers will receive regular reflective supervision and practice development opportunities to enhance their own professional effectiveness.

For further information or for an informal conversation about the post, please contact:

Children in Need Team Manager: Charles Lepretre, charles.lepretre@islington.gov.uk
 
Note to Recruitment Agencies:
We kindly ask that recruitment agencies do not contact us regarding this vacancy. We are managing the recruitment process internally and will reach out directly should we require external support. Thank you for your understanding.

Working for the team, service and our organisation

Islington is a place rich with diversity and culture. As a council our sense of purpose couldn’t be clearer: we serve. It’s in the logo. We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Together we can change the future.

We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive. 

To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out ‘CARE’, which is what we think public service is all about. 

Our offer to you
 
We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Our staff benefits include:
  • Up to 31 days leave per year, increasing to 36 days after five years of local government service
  • A range of flexible working arrangements to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as well as a 35-hour working week
  • Learning and development opportunities to maximise your potential
  • Competitive pay and a commitment to paying all staff the London Living Wage at minimum
  • Excellent local government pension scheme
  • Cycle to Work scheme and discounted gym memberships
  • Local discounts from restaurants, shops, health and beauty therapists, and more!
Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Islington Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.
 
Workforce Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
 
We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and equitable workforce, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our workforce strategy places equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, reaffirming our commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel they belong and can safely express their thoughts, ideas, and challenges, without fear of judgement or discrimination.

We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to any unlawful discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on the grounds of any protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act, including but not limited to race, disability, sexual orientation, sex, religion and belief, age, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity. Any incidents of discrimination will be promptly investigated and addressed in line with our HR policies to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all colleagues.

We use data to identify and address disparities, ensuring that our policies and practices are transparent and impactful in promoting a diverse representation of backgrounds and perspectives at all levels of the organisation. We look at inequality through an intersectional lens, recognising that different aspects of someone’s identity can combine to create unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage.

We know that advancing diversity and inclusion is a continuous journey, and we must listen to our colleagues and learn where we can further improve. We work closely with our Colleague Forums and Trade Unions, supported by active allies from our Corporate Management Team, to monitor and evaluate our practices, identify barriers, and empower colleagues to promote equality and inclusion in the workplace.

Every one of us has a role to play in making Islington Council a truly inclusive workplace. By living out our CARE (collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering) values every day and embedding the principles of equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our work, we can all actively contribute to empowering people and creating a more equal Islington.
 
Safeguarding
 
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts are subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
 
The post is subject to a enhanced DBS check with children barred list, Social Work England/HCPC registration, qualifications check and 3/5 years referencing. 
 
Disability Confident Scheme
Islington Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria and we are committed to providing support to applicants who request reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process and throughout their career with us.
Disability Confident Employer logo

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