Job Description

Role: Dedicated Social Worker - Next Steps Team (Children in Care)

Location: Pity Me, Durham (Right next to the Arnison Centre - perfect for lunch runs!)

Hours: 37 hours per week (Full-Time)

Pay Rate: £32.73 per hour

Let's be honest: standard statutory social work can sometimes feel like you're just ticking boxes. But if your true passion lies in helping teenagers find their voice, build independence, and successfully navigate that critical leap into adulthood, this is the team you've been looking for.

Durham County Council is seeking an energetic, forward-thinking Social Worker to join our Next Steps Team. We focus exclusively on supporting 16 and 17-year-olds as they transition from care toward bright, independent futures.

We don't just write plans; we innovate. We are currently co-designing a brand-new Super Hubwith our young people. This will be a state-of-the-art, one-stop space where learning, employment, housing support, and advice services all live under one roof. By joining us now, you get to help shape this game-changing service from the ground up.

• Aspirational Pathway Planning: You will help young people tell their own stories, co-producing plans that don't just look at where they've been, but where they want to go.

• Purposeful Transitions: No abrupt changes. You'll manage smooth, well-planned moves from residential care into supported accommodation, building confidence every step of the way.

• Healthy Risk-Taking: We believe in safety through empowerment. You will help teenagers learn to navigate the real world safely, building genuine life skills.

• Real Support for YOU: We combat burnout with manageable caseloads, high-quality reflective practice, group supervision, and regular team development days.

• Hold a focused, manageable caseload of young people aged 16-17.

• Collaborate closely with residential providers, housing teams, education partners, and external agencies.

• Champion the young person's voice, ensuring their feedback directly shapes their assessments and the evolution of the new Super Hub.

• Build trusted, consistent relationships that give these young people a sense of stability and belonging.

• A qualified, Social Work England-registered Social Worker with experience in Children in Care or Leaving Care services.

• Someone who genuinely likes working with teenagers and understands the unique challenges of the 16-17 age bracket.

• A proactive professional who thrives in a multi-agency environment.

• A champion for participation who believes that a young person should always be the author of their own future.

• An excellent, stable rate of £32.73 per hour.

• A highly accessible, friendly base in Pity Me with excellent local amenities right on your doorstep.

• A culture rooted in reflective practice, where your professional growth is prioritized.

Stop managing the crisis and start building the future. Join a team that is genuinely doing things differently.

Randstad Care acts as an employment business when supplying temporary staff and as an employment agency when introducing candidates for permanent employment with a client. Randstad Care is an equal opportunities employer and decisions are made on merits alone.

Did you know that Randstad Care have been awarded a place on the National Clinical Staffing Framework for the NHS? This means we will be able to bring you more opportunities within nursing & midwifery and clinical staffing.