Social Worker – Locality Social Work Team
Posted 22nd Oct, 2026
Location
Kensington and Chelsea
Working pattern
Full-time – Full-time hours per week
Working arrangements
Blended
8th Nov, 2026
Incentives
This role includes a £2,500 Child Protection allowance (applicable at both the minimum and maximum of the pay scale).
About the role
Support children and families across the borough, guiding them through life’s challenges and helping them build brighter futures. As a Social Worker in the Locality Social Work Team at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), you’ll work directly with children and families to help them find stability, safety and opportunity — seeing each child’s journey in full, from first assessment through to long-term planning.
This is hands-on, purposeful work where no two days are the same, and where your judgement, compassion and persistence can make a lasting difference in a child’s life. You’ll be part of a supportive, collaborative service that’s proud to have maintained an Outstanding rating for over a decade. It’s an exciting time to join as RBKC moves forward with national Social Care Reforms — shaping how even better services are delivered for families.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll manage a varied caseload, providing high-quality social work across all stages of a child’s journey. Your approach will combine empathy and professionalism, helping families overcome challenges and ensuring children are safe, supported and heard. Key responsibilities include:
- Managing cases across Child in Need, Child Protection, Looked After Children and court work
- Participating in a locality-based duty system and collaborating with partner agencies for a joined-up response
- Maintaining accurate, timely case recording, financial transactions and clear documentation
- Representing the service in meetings and court, and contributing to working groups
- Staying up to date with legislation, policy and best practice
Why join RBKC?
At RBKC, we’re all in — investing in our people, our communities and our future. You’ll be valued, supported and encouraged to thrive, with access to regular supervision, peer learning, and training and development programmes including Systemic Practice and leadership pathways. You’ll also benefit from the We Are Learning Hub, flexible working options, generous leave and a workplace culture built on respect and trust.
You’ll be based in the borough four days a week, with one day a week from home. New hires will normally start at the minimum of the pay scale; however, a higher starting salary may be negotiated where a candidate demonstrates exceptional skills, knowledge, or experience.
About you
RBKC is looking for a dedicated and compassionate Social Worker who shares its core values of putting communities first, respecting others, acting with integrity and working together to achieve the best outcomes for families. Whether experienced or newly qualified, the right candidate will bring the drive, empathy and professionalism that this fast‑paced, rewarding role demands.
The ideal candidate will:
- Hold a recognised Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England
- Have an up‑to‑date Enhanced DBS check covering both children and adults
- Have experience of child protection or statutory childcare work, or — if newly qualified — a relevant placement demonstrating readiness for practice
- Demonstrate strong skills in risk assessment, communication and relationship-building
- Be able to work sensitively with children, families and professionals
- Show strong organisation, resilience and attention to detail when managing complex cases and competing demands
- Be confident using IT systems and able to plan effectively for children’s long‑term needs
RBKC is committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. RBKC is a Disability Confident Employer, committed to ensuring that its recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible. This role requires the successful candidate to undertake an Enhanced Adults and Children’s DBS check with Adults and Children Barred List.
About Kensington and Chelsea
As a social worker, Kensington and Chelsea presents a unique and rewarding work environment. The borough is home to a diverse community and the demographic make up of our staff reflects this.
We are committed to promoting equality and celebrating the benefits of diversity. We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.
The borough’s commitment to social care is reflected in its innovative approach to service delivery. For example, the Council has established a Bi-Borough partnership with neighbouring borough Westminster, which allows for the sharing of resources and expertise. The partnership has resulted in improved service delivery and better outcomes for vulnerable residents, which was recognised in our last ILACS inspection which found Kensington and Chelsea to be Outstanding in all judgement areas.
“Children in care and care leavers receive an outstanding service from workers who know them exceptionally well and are caring and ambitious for them. There is strong corporate support from the wider council to provide high-quality social work services for children, including significant financial investment so that the conditions are in place for excellent social work practice to flourish.”
Ofsted
Social workers in Kensington and Chelsea can look forward to a package that includes a competitive salary and child protection payment of £2,500 for social worker positions, membership of the Local Government pension scheme, Travel allowance scheme for zones 1 and 2, cycle scheme, reimbursement of Social Work England fees, generous annual leave plus bank holidays and discounts for many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments. Employees also benefit from an extensive training package, with access to the West London Alliance essential training and to years 1 and 2 of Systemic Practice.
In addition, we offer an annual leave purchase scheme where you can purchase up to 5 days annual leave per annum at 90 per cent of the actual cost. The Council has a staff contributory private healthcare scheme, open to all staff and offers a Dental Insurance Plan.
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