Social Worker - Duty and Assessment

Social Worker – Duty and Assessment Team | Halton Council | £39 per hour

Halton Council are looking for an experienced Social Worker to join their Duty and Assessment Team on a locum basis. This is a fast-paced frontline role focused on responding to new referrals, completing timely assessments, and ensuring children are safeguarded through effective decision-making and intervention.

This opportunity would suit a practitioner who thrives in a busy duty environment, is confident managing risk at the front door, and has strong experience in completing Child and Family Assessments and Section 47 enquiries.

Role Overview

As a Social Worker in the Duty and Assessment Team, you will be responsible for managing incoming referrals, undertaking initial visits, and completing statutory assessments to determine the level of need and risk. You will work within tight timescales to ensure children and families receive the appropriate level of intervention, whether through early help, Child in Need planning, or safeguarding processes.

This team sits at the front door of children’s services, making critical decisions at the earliest stage of involvement. The role requires strong analytical skills, confidence in threshold decision-making, and the ability to respond quickly and effectively to safeguarding concerns.

You will work closely with partner agencies including police, health, and education, ensuring information is shared effectively and that safeguarding action is taken where necessary. The role demands resilience, strong organisational skills, and the ability to balance a high-volume workload while maintaining quality practice.

Key responsibilities

  • Manage a caseload of referrals and assessments within a duty setting
  • Complete Child and Family Assessments within statutory timescales
  • Undertake Section 47 enquiries and safeguarding investigations
  • Conduct home visits and direct work with children and families
  • Make threshold decisions and determine appropriate levels of intervention
  • Initiate Child in Need or Child Protection plans where required
  • Work closely with multi-agency partners to gather and share information
  • Maintain accurate, timely, and analytical case records
  • Attend strategy discussions, legal planning meetings, and case conferences
  • Ensure effective and timely progression or transfer of cases

Benefits

  • Competitive rate of £39 per hour
  • Frontline experience within a busy Duty and Assessment service
  • Opportunity to develop strong assessment and safeguarding skills
  • Exposure to a wide range of cases at the initial point of contact
  • Supportive team environment within a well-structured service
  • Valuable experience in threshold decision-making and risk management

Requirements

  • Social Work England registration
  • Qualified Social Worker status
  • Previous experience within Duty and Assessment or similar frontline teams
  • Strong understanding of safeguarding processes, including Section 17 and Section 47
  • Confidence in managing risk and making threshold decisions
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage competing priorities
  • Strong assessment, analytical, and communication skills
  • Enhanced DBS and full compliance for locum work

Interested?

For more information or to apply, contact:
Emily Cooper – ecooper@sheldon-phillips.com | 07745 200325

Know someone suitable? We offer a referral bonus for successful recommendations.