How to Find Social Worker Jobs in the UK: Step-by-Step Guide for 2025

To find the best opportunities, you need to be clear on the main areas of practice. These popular sectors include:

Children’s Social Worker Jobs

• Safeguarding, child protection, fostering, adoption.
• High demand across local authorities sue to caseload pressures.

Adult Social Worker Jobs

• Mental health, learning disabilities, hospital discharge, community support.

AMHP Roles (Approves Mental Health Professional)

• Specialist training required, high demand due to legal responsibilities.

Supervising Social Worker (Fostering Agencies)

• Supporting foster carers, placements, assessments.

Hospital/Discharge Social Worker

• Working alongside NHS teams, discharge planning, community support.

Independent/Locum Social Worker Jobs

• Higher pay, more flexibility, critical to national workforce stability.

With so many areas to explore, candidates can specialise early or switch between roles as they build more experience.

To work in any social worker job in the UK, candidates must:

• Hold a recognised social work degree
  • BA or MA in Social Work approved by Social Work England

• Be registered with Social Work England

1. • This is essential for practice. Registration must be renewed annually, including CPD uploads
   • Useful link- Social Work England: Registration guidance (official government regulatory body)

• Complete statutory checks
  • Enhanced DBS
  • References
  • Work history
  • Proof of right to work

• Maintain CPD
  • Compliance is becoming stricter; candidates unable to evidence CPD may lose registration

A great social work CV should quickly show employers who you are, what you’ve done, and why you’re the right fit. Make sure you include:

• Your Social Work England registration number
• Your key practice areas- for example safeguarding, mental health, or fostering
• Your caseload experience and the types of cases you’ve managed
• Any statutory work you’ve carried out (Section 17, Section 47, MCA assessments, Care Act assessments, etc.)
• Clear evidence of impact- maybe you helped reduce a backlog, improved outcomes for families, or support service improvements
• Up-to-date CPD to show you’re actively developing your practice
• Relevant training, such as Signs of Safety, Strengths-Based Practice, Mental Capacity training, or safeguarding qualifications

Not all job boards are created equal. In 2025, the best way to find social worker jobs is to use a mic of specialist job boards, recruitment agencies, and local authority websites.

1. Specialist Recruitment Agencies (like Prospero Health & Social Care)

Pros:

• Exclusive roles not advertised elsewhere
• Faster placement
• Compliance support
• Locum and permanent opportunities
• Access to training and CPD
• One-to-one consultant support

Agencies make a huge difference- 14% of social work roles are filled by agency staff, which shows how much local authorities rely on recruitment support (DfE, 2024).

2. Local Authority Websites

Perfect if you’re looking for permanent positions, chances to progress, or graduate opportunities.

3. Social Care Job Boards

• Community Care Jobs
• Indeed
• Guardian Jobs
• JobsGoPublic

4. LinkedIn

Ideal for professional networking, contacting hiring managers, and finding referral opportunities.

A lot of candidates don’t realise just how much a good recruitment consultant can help, especially someone who really understands how social worker jobs work day to day. At Prospero Health & Social Care, our consultants match you to roles that genuinely fit your experience, values, and career goals.

A consultant can:

• Spot roles before they even go live, giving you first pick
• Help you secure better pay, particularly if you’re going locum
• Support you with interview prep, so you know exactly what to expect
• Take the stress out of compliance and paperwork
• Offer honest CV advice and guide you on how to strengthen your experience

You’ll find that most social work interviews use competency and scenario-style questions, often linked to:

• The PCF (Professional Capabilities Framework)
• The KSS (Knowledge and Skills Statements)

Common interview topics:

• Managing risk
• Multi-agency working
• Safeguarding legislation
• Case prioritisation
• Anti-oppressive practice
• Evidence-based decision making

Prepare using the STAR method:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

Employers are looking for resilience, reflective practice, and emotional intelligence.