Social Worker / Advanced Social Worker – Court and Early Permanence Team
Croydon Council is seeking an enthusiastic and child-focused Social Worker to join its innovative Court and Early Permanence Team — a specialist service within the Children in Care (Under 16) Team dedicated to improving outcomes for children whose care plans are adoption.
You will be joining a team committed to high quality relational practice, working with children subject to Placement Orders and supporting them through care proceedings. This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference to some of Croydon’s most vulnerable children, contributing to the Council’s key outcome that children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential.
Key responsibilities include:
- Working with children subject to Placement Orders, including writing Child Permanence Reports (CPRs) and undertaking life story work
- Managing care proceedings with a strong background in court work
- Maintaining records that evidence engagement with children and families, informing the quality assurance framework with quantitative, qualitative, and outcome information
- Building trusting relationships with children and families through high quality relational practice
- Working collaboratively with partner agencies and maintaining positive working relationships with children, families, and colleagues
For further information about the role profiles, a Grade 11–12 role profile and a Grade 14 role profile are available to view online. The closing date for applications is 18 October 2026.
About you
Croydon Council is looking for a committed and skilled Social Worker who is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children in care. The right candidate will bring both professional expertise and a genuine dedication to building trusting relationships with children and young people.
The ideal candidate will:
- Be a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England
- Have preferably completed their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
- Have experience of working with children subject to Placement Orders, writing CPRs, and undertaking life story work
- Have a strong background in care proceedings
- Have knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, standards, and procedures relating to children’s social care
- Have knowledge of national policy, strategy, and developments in children’s social care
- Be able to maintain records that evidence engagement with children and families and inform quality assurance frameworks
- Be able to demonstrate experience, knowledge, and skills in front line settings, working with a complex and diverse range of needs and risks
- Be able to make effective and timely decisions, including in contextual safeguarding situations
- Be able to work positively with partner agencies and maintain collaborative working relationships with children and their families
- Have experience of working with children in care and those who arrived unaccompanied in the UK (desirable)
- Be committed to high quality relational practice with a natural ability to create trusting relationships with children
Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. As users of the Disability Confident scheme, they guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. The successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. Croydon Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.
About Croydon
Home to 94,000 children, Croydon is a truly unique place to practice social work. We are a borough with big ambition, grit, and determination. Children’s social care was judged ‘good’ in our last Ofsted inspection.
Our systemic practice framework places emphasis on relationships as key to supporting change for families. We make sense of the world through relationships, focusing on the whole family system and thinking about our own part in that too – what we bring, our own family stories and beliefs, how we use ourselves in the work that we do. Our practice model is all about collaboration – with our families, networks and partners; being open to challenge and ensuring our practitioners are highly trained in a variety of intervention approaches. Our established clinical service will support you to grow your own systemic practice within the service, providing accredited training, co-working and direct work with families.
Benefits of working with Croydon
- You will be valued for your skills and expertise, supported by the team of experienced professionals, as well as the management at Croydon Council, one of the largest employers in the borough. We also offer:
- Highly competitive compensation package
- Accredited Systemic Practice training
- A range of CPD opportunities
- 29-31 days (grade equivalent) annual leave in addition to Bank Holidays and option to purchase more
- A pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 20%
- Continuing Professional Development –genuine opportunities to grow, develop and specialise in your career
- Investment into your wellbeing
- Access to Employee Discount scheme with a range of programmes (Cycle Benefit Scheme, GymFlex, Retail Discounts and more)
- We promote flexible & hybrid working arrangements where possible to support a healthy work-life balance
What makes Croydon special is our people – both within the council and throughout the borough.
- Choosing to practice social work in Croydon will give you opportunity to develop, grow, thrive, and strive; it is not just a job but a career. Here are some of the reasons our colleagues like working at Croydon:
- Our team consists of experienced, dedicated practitioners
- We meet regularly to make sure everyone we work with has the support and knowledge needed to make a difference and be the difference to our families, communities and colleagues
- At Croydon relationships matter and we are about strong partnerships and working together to make lasting positive change
- We are an established team who can help you settle in and offer their expertise
- You will have the support of an extremely knowledgeable understanding manager
- You will have access to a busy, buzzy, committed workforce and work environment Opportunities to work from home and work flexibly provides you with more work-life balance
- Opportunities to think together with your manager about career development
- Support to help you grow, develop, learn and lead
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