Social Worker

• Suffolk County Council
• Address:  West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU - Hybrid
• Salary: £34,434 - £40,777 per annum (pro rata if part time) plus £4,000 annual retention payment (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week, Flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

We’re focused on making a meaningful difference to communities across Suffolk. How? By listening to our people learning from what they say and creating a culture of mutual respect, where everyone works together to achieve great things. As a Youth Justice Social Worker, you’ll be as passionate about collaboration and building brighter futures as we are. Join us to make a meaningful impact and take the next step in a truly rewarding career. You’ll be part of a highly skilled, regulated workforce, making a real difference every day—supporting children, families, victims, and communities, while promoting rights, resilience, and positive futures.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities 

We’re looking for passionate professionals to join our team and make a real difference through youth rehabilitation. In this role, you will:

• Deliver innovative rehabilitation and intervention programs
• Support young people and their families to prevent youth offending and promote positive change
• Engage with victims of youth offences
• Provide court support services, including weekends and bank holidays (once trained and as required)
• Contribute to community safety initiatives
• Work as part of a close-knit, motivated, and supportive team
• Collaborate with specialist services and multi-agency networks
• Build strong connections with challenging young people
• Demonstrate resilience, flexibility, and a belief in the power of rehabilitation
• Apply professional curiosity, assessment and analytical skills
• Commit to youth justice reform.

What you will need: 

• A recognised Social Work qualification and Social Work England registration
• Excellent information-gathering and analytical skills
• A commitment to your own professional development
• If you do not already hold the Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate (YJEPC) or the Professional Certificate in Effective Practice (including YJEPC Desistance Top-Up), you will be expected to work towards the YJEPC qualification as part of your employment. This qualification will be fully funded by Suffolk County Council. 
• To hold a full and current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.  If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.  

The team 

The Suffolk Youth Justice Service (SYJS) works with children and young people who are in, or at risk of entering, the Youth Justice System.

We also support parents, carers, and victims of youth crime, operating as a multi-agency partnership hosted by Suffolk County Council.

Our core aim is to:

• Prevent offending by children and young people
• Protect the public from harm caused by youth offending
• Promote the safety, wellbeing, and future aspirations of the young people we work with.

SYJS operates 7 days a week, including evenings until 9pm, and conducts home visits to meet national standards and legislative requirements.

As part of the role, you will be expected to:

• Occasionally work evenings and weekends, for which you will be entitled to flexi time or Time Off in Lieu (TOIL).
• Participate in a Saturday rota, for which you will receive additional payment or TOIL, depending on your preference.

Additional Benefits

• up to 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays per annum, pro rata for part time
• an uplift of 3 additional annual leave days, pro rata for part time
• 3 protected CPD days per annum
• access to a relocation package of up to £8,000, a car leasing scheme and a welcome loan of £2,000 for all new social workers moving to Suffolk
• free on-site car parking in all council buildings
• flexible working options and our commitment to supporting health and wellbeing
• detailed induction programme, including mandatory Signs of Safety training
• staff networks which are open to staff, councillors and partners that share similar characteristics, life experiences, values and beliefs.

Empowering Everyone 

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information 

Please contact Jennifer Lebbon (she/her) by either calling 07793 658725/01284 758230 or emailing [email protected].

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the ‘Person Profile’ section of the JPP. 

1. You should use the Supporting Statement template (word).
2. Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4.

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format. If you would like an adjustment to this process due to a disability, please contact us at 03456 014412 or [email protected]      Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word)

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.  

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at [email protected] or 03456 014412.  

You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. If you're invited to the next stage, you’ll have another chance to request adjustments.

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing [email protected] or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.

Closing date: 11:30pm, 3 August 2026

Interview process:
The selection process will consist of three stages. Candidates who are successful at each stage will be invited to progress to the next stage.

• Stage 1 – Assessment Centre - 14 August 2026 or 17 August 2026

• Stage 2 – Panel Interview - 25 August 2026

• Stage 3 – Young Persons’ Panel - Week commencing 31 August 2026

Please note that progression to Stages 2 and 3 is subject to successful completion of the preceding stage. Dates may be subject to change. Successful applicants will receive further details and confirmation of arrangements in due course.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.  #LI-Hybrid