Social Worker - Children Service
| Posting date: | 21 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £30,001.00 to £40,000.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Band 9 £35, 412 - £38, 220 per annum (ASYE/pre-progression)/ Band 10 - £39, 152 - £41, 771 (SW main grade) Band 11 £42, 839 - £46, 142 (SW experienced) |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 04 February 2026 |
| Location: | Darlington, DL1 5QT |
| Company: | Darlington Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 290847 |
Summary
If you are an enthusiastic and dynamic Social Worker, either experienced or newly qualified, who brings passion and commitment to achieving the best for the most vulnerable families, we would like to hear from you.
Our Childrenandrsquo;s Services is rated andlsquo;Goodandrsquo; by Ofsted and we are ambitious and excited for the next stage of our development.andnbsp;
This what Ofsted said about us -
and#39;Staff are attracted to working in Darlington because of the benefits of the relational practice model and the positive workforce culture. Workers in Darlington are extremely committed to the local authority and feel valued by senior leaders. Social workers we spoke to describe an environment where they feel confident and supported by their managers to make decisions. They feel cared about and supported by them.and#39;
and#39;There is a strong focus on ensuring that workers have access to a range of good-quality and up-to-date training and development opportunities. Training has informed and enhanced the quality of relational social work practice.and#39;
We are seeking enthusiastic, energetic and motivated individuals who wants to be part of our next exciting chapter. You will be fundamental in creating an environment that supports and enables relational practice, building local capacity, relationships and skills and innovation.andnbsp;andnbsp;
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and supporting information.
We incorporate an agile working model across all of our services, which seeks to ensure that all of our staff are supported to find the right balance of home and office working to provide the best support and services they can to children and families in Darlington.
The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:
32 days Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
Flexi-time scheme
Flexible working
Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
Staff equality forums
Green Car Leasing Scheme
Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
Physiotherapy service
Confidential counselling service
Great wellbeing offer
Cycle to Work Scheme
Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
Local and National retailer discounts
Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
Arriva Employee Travel Club
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our andquot;Why work for usandquot; internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/why-work-for-us/
Find out further information about us and what itandrsquo;s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/
This post is eligible for the Social Worker Recruitment and Retention payment paid annually to Social Workers with a minimum of one yearand#39;s post qualifying experience in a Social Worker role who have successfully completed their ASYE year (if applicable). The payment is currently andpound;2,500 per annum (pro-rata for part time hours, reviewed annually)
If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Suzanne Nelson Service Manager on 01325 405663.
General information for applicants:
If you have any further questions regarding applying for this role or the questions and required fields within the application form, please contact the HR Support team on 01325 403217 orandnbsp;HR@darlington.gov.uk.
If you are experiencing problems with the NE Jobs website, such as logging in, saving pages, on account queries please fill out the form within the link below.
https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/contactus
All applicant email correspondence will come fromandnbsp;donotreply@northeastjobs.org.ukandnbsp;and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.
You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.
andnbsp;
We are an equal opportunitiesand#39; employer. We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We aim to interview any applicant who declares a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job.
Our Childrenandrsquo;s Services is rated andlsquo;Goodandrsquo; by Ofsted and we are ambitious and excited for the next stage of our development.andnbsp;
This what Ofsted said about us -
and#39;Staff are attracted to working in Darlington because of the benefits of the relational practice model and the positive workforce culture. Workers in Darlington are extremely committed to the local authority and feel valued by senior leaders. Social workers we spoke to describe an environment where they feel confident and supported by their managers to make decisions. They feel cared about and supported by them.and#39;
and#39;There is a strong focus on ensuring that workers have access to a range of good-quality and up-to-date training and development opportunities. Training has informed and enhanced the quality of relational social work practice.and#39;
We are seeking enthusiastic, energetic and motivated individuals who wants to be part of our next exciting chapter. You will be fundamental in creating an environment that supports and enables relational practice, building local capacity, relationships and skills and innovation.andnbsp;andnbsp;
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and supporting information.
We incorporate an agile working model across all of our services, which seeks to ensure that all of our staff are supported to find the right balance of home and office working to provide the best support and services they can to children and families in Darlington.
The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:
32 days Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
Flexi-time scheme
Flexible working
Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
Staff equality forums
Green Car Leasing Scheme
Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
Physiotherapy service
Confidential counselling service
Great wellbeing offer
Cycle to Work Scheme
Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
Local and National retailer discounts
Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
Arriva Employee Travel Club
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our andquot;Why work for usandquot; internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/why-work-for-us/
Find out further information about us and what itandrsquo;s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/
This post is eligible for the Social Worker Recruitment and Retention payment paid annually to Social Workers with a minimum of one yearand#39;s post qualifying experience in a Social Worker role who have successfully completed their ASYE year (if applicable). The payment is currently andpound;2,500 per annum (pro-rata for part time hours, reviewed annually)
If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Suzanne Nelson Service Manager on 01325 405663.
General information for applicants:
If you have any further questions regarding applying for this role or the questions and required fields within the application form, please contact the HR Support team on 01325 403217 orandnbsp;HR@darlington.gov.uk.
If you are experiencing problems with the NE Jobs website, such as logging in, saving pages, on account queries please fill out the form within the link below.
https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/contactus
All applicant email correspondence will come fromandnbsp;donotreply@northeastjobs.org.ukandnbsp;and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.
You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.
andnbsp;
We are an equal opportunitiesand#39; employer. We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We aim to interview any applicant who declares a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job.