Social Worker – Duty and Assessment

Liquid Personnel is recruiting experienced Social Workers to join its client's fast‑paced and well‑established Duty and Assessment Team (DAAT). This is a frontline role within a stable service, responding promptly to safeguarding concerns and completing high‑quality assessments to ensure children’s safety.

What will your responsibilities be?

• Act as the first point of contact for safeguarding concerns referred from MASH
• Complete single assessments to determine levels of need and risk
• Visit Child Protection cases within 24 hours (or same day where required)
• Visit Child in Need cases within 5 working days
• Manage a capped caseload of up to 35 (typically 25–30), often working with 5–8 families due to sibling groupings
• Participate in a 6‑week duty rota, including one full office‑based duty week

Working Arrangements

• Countywide service with designated patches (e.g. Daventry, Northampton Central, Corby) to reduce travel
• Full office‑based presence during duty weeks
• Candidates must be local during visit times to meet rapid response requirements
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential

Team Structure and Support

• Stable leadership with predominantly permanent senior management
• Locum Team Managers are long‑standing (2+ years in post)
• Each team consists of 8–10 Social Workers, supported by an Advanced Practitioner and Family Support Workers
• Access to overspill training opportunities for locum workers, subject to length of service

Qualifications and Experience

• Social Work England registration and a recognized Social Work qualification.
• Experience Requirement: Only candidates with at least 2 years of specific DAAT experience will be considered for this locum role.
• Compliance: You must complete the attached DfE cover sheet, clearly stating whether previous roles were permanent or locum to evidence your post-qualified experience (PQE).
• Efficiency: Ability to work at pace and make sound decisions under pressure.

Our Commitment

• Workloads are actively reviewed and adjusted to account for complex cases
• A strong focus on timely intervention to ensure all children in Northamptonshire are seen promptly and safely

This is an excellent opportunity for experienced DAAT Social Workers seeking a well‑supported locum role within a stable and responsive service.

Why Liquid Personnel?

•  Free DBS and compliance service
• Twice weekly payroll and ‘Faster Pay’ service, getting you paid more quickly
• Access to exclusive roles that aren’t available from other agencies
• Free access to Liquid’s exclusive social work training and CPD portal
• Your own dedicated consultant with extensive social work knowledge
• Access to a wide selection of social work positions across the UK
• “Refer a Friend” bonus – get £500 for each social worker you refer who we successfully place*
• “Find your own job” bonus – get £250 for bringing your own position to us *

Liquid Personnel is an equal opportunities employer. Liquid Personnel Ltd is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. * Terms and conditions apply to our bonus schemes.

Reasonable Adjustments:

If you consider yourself to have a disability or require any reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process or within the workplace, please highlight this at the earliest opportunity by contacting our team. With this information, we will provide appropriate support to you throughout the process and into your work placement.

We are unable to support or accept applications from candidates who are residents within the Red or Amber list of the Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Workforce Support and Safeguard List.

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