Social worker jobs and recruitment
Social workers assess what people need, plan their care and support, and keep people safe from harm. In social care providers they often lead reviews, safeguarding work and transitions between services.
We recruit registered social workers for care providers and specialist services, and check their registration with the regulator for their nation.
The social worker role at a glance
- Duties
- Assessments, care and support plans, reviews, safeguarding enquiries, mental capacity and best interests work, and liaison with families, councils and health teams.
- Shifts
- Weekday daytime hours, with some evenings for meetings and visits.
- Checks
- Registration with the social work regulator for the nation, the criminal record check for the role, and references from recent social work posts.
- Pay basis
- Salaried, or hourly or daily for temporary posts.
- Qualifications
- A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England, the SSSC, Social Care Wales or NISCC.
What a social worker does in social care
Social workers bring a legal and professional framework to care. They assess needs and risks, write plans with the person, lead safeguarding work, and make sure decisions respect the person’s rights and choices.
In a care provider, social workers may carry a caseload of their own, support a team of support workers, or lead on complex transitions such as a young person moving into adult services.
Social work registration in each nation
Social work is a registered profession in all four nations, each with its own regulator:
- England
- Registration with Social Work England. By law, nobody may practise as a social worker in England unless they are registered.
- Scotland
- Registration with the SSSC. The title social worker is protected in Scotland.
- Wales
- Registration with Social Care Wales before taking up a social work post.
- Northern Ireland
- Registration with NISCC before taking up any social work post.
Checks we run for social workers
Before we introduce or supply a social worker, we check:
- their registration, and any conditions on it, with the regulator for the nation where they will work
- identity and right to work in the UK
- the criminal record check the role needs, including the adults’ or children’s barred list
- references from their most recent social work posts
- their qualification and their experience of the client group
Hours social workers usually work
Social work is mainly a weekday daytime job, with some evening visits and meetings.
- Day to
How social worker pay is set
Permanent social work posts are salaried, set by the employer. Temporary posts may be paid by the hour or the day, agreed before you start.
We tell you the full salary or rate before you apply, and we never charge you a fee for finding you work. The legal floor for every worker is the National Living Wage, £12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026 for workers aged 21 and over according to GOV.UK, and social work salaries are set by the employer above it.
Where social workers work in social care
In the services we recruit for, social workers are most often found in children’s services, mental health services and housing support.
- Children’s homes Residential homes for children and young people who cannot live with their families.
- Mental health services Care homes, supported accommodation and community support for people with mental health needs.
- Housing support Help to keep a tenancy and live independently, in supported housing or in people’s own homes.
Questions about social work roles
I’m registered in England. Can I work in Scotland?
You would need to register with the SSSC before practising as a social worker in Scotland. The same applies in Wales and Northern Ireland with their own regulators.
Do you recruit for council social work teams?
Our focus is care providers and specialist services. Tell us what you are looking for and we will say honestly whether we can help.
Social work roles
Call the office to talk about a social work post, or send your details or your vacancy in writing.