| Salary £36,363 - £40,777 Per Annum | Fixed Term, 37 Hours Per Week | Preston |

International Sponsorship – this role is not open to international sponsorship 

Social Worker | Fostering - Kinship Assessment

Our fantastic Kinship Assessment Team currently has two opportunities for dedicated Social Workers to join us on a fixed-term basis

• 1 x Maternity cover until October 2026
• 1 x Sabbatical cover until December 2026

About us...

Lancashire's Fostering Service is an exciting and dynamic place to work , we are focused on improving our service in co-production with our children, foster carers and staff team. 

All fostering teams work in partnership with all of Lancashire's Children's Social Care teams to ensure children’s care plans are progressed with minimum delay and children are provided with the best possible care, attending the required meetings to ensure appropriate planning at the early stages of a child's arrival, when considering Lasting Homes and to support stability for our children and fostering families.  The Fostering Service seeks to build positive relationships with professionals working with our families, ensuring a strengths-based approach when meeting our children and carer's needs. 

About the role...

As a social worker within the Kinship Assessment team, you'll be responsible for undertaking viability assessments of proposed Kinship foster carers and Special Guardians as well as preparing and assessing prospective Kinship foster carers and Special Guardians. You will have a keen eye for detail, as the role will also involve compiling assessment reports to present to the fostering panel and the Court.

Although the team is based in Preston, you will be required to travel across the county as required, therefore access to car and the ability to drive would be essential. 

About you...

We're seeking a dedicated, qualified Social Worker, who holds a Social Work England Registration. In addition to this essential qualification, we're also looking for Social Workers who are:

• Passionate – We're searching for social workers motivated by their passion to help others as you'll be responsible for undertaking viability assessments of proposed Kinship foster carers and Special Guardians as well as preparing and assessing prospective Kinship foster carers and Special Guardians, including compiling assessment reports to present to the fostering panel and the Court.
• Collaborative – We need social workers who are excellent communicators, with the interpersonal skills needed to collaborate well with others – you'll converse well with the team and have the people skills needed to adapt to each situation and respond in the manner needed – as an experienced social worker you'll be self-aware and use the appropriate language to both children, care givers and professionals whilst being reflective of your approach – this is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of others and assist in supporting vulnerable children within our community – this heart warming role really does assist in improving outcomes for children and families, so if you're ready to share your knowledge then we'd really love you to join us!

Reasons to join us…

• Benefits: There's fabulous flexibility and the opportunity to create the work life balance you'll love with 26 days annual leave, which rises with length of service, 8 Bank holidays and 2 additional days at Christmas – we also have a generous local authority pension with shared AVC's available, and a benefits package that will exceed your expectations, long service award Employee Assistance Programme, support groups, cycle to work schemes and 24/7 employee assistance plus much more!
• Development: you will get support and development along the journey – there will be time for supportive reflection and supervision for yourself, opportunities for personal growth and development, multidisciplinary initiatives, mentoring, apprenticeships, the opportunity to make a difference, feel valued and achieve the job satisfaction you've always wanted plus all the benefits of working with Lancashire County Council. We are also committed to developing the training and skills of our social workers, we embrace diversity and that includes around personal and family requirements, therefore we support an array of flexible working opportunities to attract diverse talent. 
• Inclusive: We take inclusivity seriously and would like to improve the diversity within our teams to better reflect the people and communities we serve, so we are particularly keen to hear from you if you are a person of colour, from the LGBTQ+ community or have a disability

How to apply...

To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply Now' button below and ensure you submit:

• Up to date CV
• Supporting Statement

Should you have any queries regarding the role, please contact Kevin Goosey, Team Manager for an informal discussion.

Email:  [email protected] or Tel: 01257 517294

Closing Date: 8th February 2026

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful, you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

You must be registered (Social Work England) to be appointed as a Social Worker. 

You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. 

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Job Description & Person Specification