Children's Assessing Social Worker - Fostering Recruitment & Assessment
- Devon
- Full Time
- £39,862 - £44,075 p.a
We are looking for an full time social worker to join our Fostering Recruitment and Assessment team as an Assessing Social Worker within Devon. If you are passionate about supporting Children in Foster Care to thrive, then we want to hear from you!
About the role
As an Assessing Social Worker within Fostering Recruitment and Assessment, you will be responsible for assessing individuals who apply to become mainstream foster carers for Devon County Council. From the initial assessment of the first application right through to post-panel approval, you will provide expert guidance and support for applicants.
During this process, you will be expected to assess applicants suitability by completing initial fostering visits and a comprehensive, in-depth Form F Fostering Assessment before presenting applicants to the fostering panel.
Following approval from the panel, you will continue to support and supervise the foster carers for a period of up to 3 months, Your guidance, advice, and regular supervision will help ensure safe, supportive, and nurturing fostering environments for Devon’s children.
All responsibilities must be carried out in line with the National Minimum Standards for Fostering, the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, and any other relevant legislation.
As part of this role you will be expected to:
- Oversee and contribute to quality assurance processes within the service
- Assist in delivering training to both prospective and existing foster carers, supporting local fostering recruitment events
- Champion high standards of professional social work practice across the team
- Demonstrate strong knowledge of fostering regulations and the legal options that enable children to be cared for by individuals within their network
About you
You will bring the following skills and experience:
- Be a qualified and SWE‑registered Children’s Social Worker
- Have satisfactorily completed your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
- Have experience completing social care assessments, ideally including Form F or Form C assessments but other sector or team assessing experiences are transferrable
- Experience of assessing and or supervising foster carers is desirable, though not essential
- Exceptional communication skills and the ability to build effective, trusting relationships
- Strong knowledge of fostering regulations, guidance, and relevant legislation
- Either have previous experience within a fostering service or be able to demonstrate clear transferable skills from another role
- Show excellent time‑management, written recording, and planning skills
- Be able to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service and the families you support. This may include occasional weekend work for recruitment events and some evening sessions when completing assessments with prospective foster carers
- Be willing and able to work across the whole of Fostering Devon’s geographical area
What we can offer you
We have some fantastic employee benefits available, including:
- 26 days paid annual leave per year, rising to 31 days with 5 years’ continuous service, plus bank holidays.
- Free onsite parking
- Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee well-being services
- Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
- We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home
- Discounts at over 900 national & local high street retailers through our benefits platform
- Cycle to work scheme
- Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
If you are looking to move to Devon, subject to qualifying conditions, we offer a generous relocation allowance. There has never been a better time to make the move!
Ready to Make a Real Difference?
To find out more about the Fostering Assessment & Recruitment Team or the role, please contact the Team Manager, Sally Willox (sally.willox@devon.gov.uk) for a friendly, informal chat.
Applications close on 22 March 2026. If a sufficient number of applications are received the advert may close early, therefore please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Internal Applicants, please note: If you are an existing DCC employee, please use your iTrent Employee Self Service (ESS) details to log in and apply.
Please note: This role is not currently eligible for sponsorship or resettlement.
For the vital contribution you make, you will receive the following:
- Generous annual leave, with the ability to purchase additional
- Free onsite parking.
- Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee well-being services.
- We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
- Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
- Discounts at over 900 national & local high street retailers through our benefits platform.
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.
For more information about working for DCC, please visit our Working for Devon page
Additional Information
- This role requires a DBS disclosure.
- This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
- DCC embraces the positive benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and safe. We welcome applications from people who share our commitment to stop discrimination, challenge inequality and promote diversity across Devon. More information can be found on our Equality and Diversity webpages.
- Happy to Talk Flexible Working The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work e.g. hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.
- We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
- Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with the Applicant privacy notice.
REQ009122 - Children's Social Care
Job Details
- OrganisationDevon County Council
- Work LocationDevon
- Work Postcode
To be discussed at interview
- Reference
REQ009122
- Occupational GroupSocial Care & Health
- Salary Details
£39,862 - £44,075 p.a
- Job TermPermanent
- Appointment TypeFull Time
- Hours
37 hours per week
- Closing Date
22/03/2026
- DBS Check Required
Yes