Special Guardianship Support Social Worker

Special Guardianship Support Social Worker

Are you passionate about making a difference for children and families? Do you have the skills and empathy to support those who have taken on the vital role of Special Guardianship? If so, we’d love to hear from you! We are a small but dedicated team committed to providing tailored support to Special Guardians and the children in their care. This is a unique opportunity to join a service that values creativity, compassion, and collaboration.

About us

At Cheshire East Council, we are resident, and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.

For us, success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too!

Join us on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care at Cheshire East Council

We’re on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care and we’d love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward-thinking team that’s passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures.

If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our children, young people and their families.

About the Role

As a Social Worker, you will:

• Work directly with Special Guardians and their families to provide practical and emotional support.
• Is able to build trusting relationships and offer trauma‑informed support.
• Help families navigate challenges and access resources that promote stability and wellbeing.
• Advocate for children and carers, ensuring their voices are heard.
• Complete assessments and develop support plans, including considering the use the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
• Chair review meetings with sensitivity and structure.
• Deliver one-to-one interventions and group sessions.
• Collaborate with others to ensure holistic support.
• Contribute to the development of innovative approaches to meet the needs of guardians and children.

About You

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience working with children, families, or vulnerable groups.
• Understands childhood trauma, grief and loss.
• Understands the complexities of Special Guardianship arrangements.
• Is enthusiastic about kinship care and the unique strengths of SGO families.
• Values family networks and natural support systems.
• Is empathetic, resilient, and able to build trusting relationships.
• Can work independently and as part of a close-knit team.
• Has excellent communication and organisational skills.

What we offer in return:

• A competitive salary - Between £39,152 - £41,771 (CEC NJC – Grade 9, pro-rata for part-time staff, experience dependant) with guaranteed yearly pay increases!
• Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
• Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work week with the added perks of flexitime and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better!
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’re no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
• Enhanced public pension - Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
• Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
• Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
• Discounted gym membership - Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
• Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
• Off-Peak Racket Sports
• Athletics Tracks
• Sauna/Steam/Spa

Organisation Cheshire East Council Location Cheshire Job Category Children and Young People Services Grade CEC NJC - Grade 9 Salary Min £39,152 per annum Salary Max £41,771 per annum Hours per week 37 Weeks per year 52.143 Employment Type Permanent Closing Date 31/08/2026 Ref No E3695 Documents

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How to apply

We’re delighted that you’re considering applying for this role!

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We believe that a diverse workforce helps us better reflect and serve our local communities, and together, we can build something truly special.

Once you’ve applied for the position, please keep an eye on your email inbox (including your junk and spam folders), as we’ll send any correspondence there to stay in touch with updates about your application.

If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, it likely means we weren’t able to move forward with your application at this time but please don’t let this discourage you as your interest means a lot to us, and we’d truly love to hear from you again in the future!

Please quote job reference number in all correspondence.

Interviews to take place week commencing 7th September 2026.

Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough. As such, any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings that are ‘not protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 (as amended in 2013) relating to the non-disclosure of spent convictions do not apply to this job. You must therefore, disclose whether you have any previous convictions where prompted to do so within the application process.