Social Worker - Assessment

Social Worker | Duty & Assessment | Bolton Council
£37 per hour (Umbrella) | Locum

If you like fast-paced frontline work where decisions actually matter, Duty & Assessment is it. This is a great one for someone who’s confident with risk, can write a strong assessment, and doesn’t need hand-holding to prioritise properly.

About the role

You’ll sit at the front door of Children’s Services — screening contacts, progressing assessments, completing visits quickly, and making confident recommendations about next steps. The local expectation is child-focused, relationship-based practice, with strong multi-agency working and a clear emphasis on being transparent with families about worries, strengths, and what needs to change.

Key responsibilities

• Complete Child & Family Assessments within statutory timescales
• Undertake S47 enquiries, strategy discussions, and immediate safeguarding action
• Progress cases to ICPC / Child Protection planning where thresholds are met
• Produce clear, defensible recording and strong analysis (not just narrative)
• Work closely with police, health, education and early help to coordinate plans
• Make timely recommendations around step up/step down, legal planning and next interventions
• Keep the child’s lived experience central in visits, direct work and planning

Benefits 

• High-impact work with variety (no two days are the same)
• Strong skill-builder role (risk analysis, thresholds, decision-making)
• £37/hr is solid for a D&A desk if the team setup is sensible

Requirements

• SWE registration (Social Work England)
• Recent children’s frontline experience (Duty & Assessment / Assessment / Safeguarding)
• Confident with thresholds, fast turnaround visits, and high-quality written work
• Enhanced DBS (or on the Update Service)

Interested?

Emily Cooper | ecooper@sheldon-phillips.com | 07745 200325
Referral bonus available for successful recommendations.