Social Work Trainee

In this post you will work towards becoming a social worker by completing a degree in social work (an integrated degree apprenticeship). At least 1 day of your working week will be dedicated to study, but you will need to commit time to additional study and completing assignments. You will primarily work within a hub with other social work trainees supported by a lead practitioner who is an experienced social worker (we have a number of hubs, based in localities within the county each supported by a lead practitioner). You will experience a variety of work with children and families, which will gradually increase in complexity as your skills and knowledge develop. You will complete a 10 day shadowing placement and 2 further placements (1 of 70 days and 1 of 100 days) in our social work teams. You will be supported to implement Durham's practice model, which is a strengths-based and safety-focused approach to practice, grounded in partnership and collaboration with families. We encourage you to come along to an online briefing where you will be able to find out more and ask questions about these roles and the degree programme. The online briefing will take place via MS Teams on: Tuesday 30th June 2026, 5.15pm - 6.30pm Please use this link to join the briefing session if you would like to attend

We are looking for 2 practitioners with experience of working with children, young people and families who are ready to take their careers to the next level by training to become social workers. These are temporary roles for 3 years while you complete a social work degree apprenticeship. You will earn a salary for the whole 3 year period and the costs of your degree will be fully funded by Durham County Council's apprenticeship levy. Following successful completion of your social work degree and registration with Social Work England you are guaranteed a permanent social work role working with children and families in Durham. Our social workers currently start in post on Grade 9 (£35,412 pa) and are eligible for a £2,000 welcome payment. Ongoing post qualifying support and training opportunities are provided by our excellent Social Work Academy.,

• To have a real enthusiasm for social work with children and families as a career.
• A relevant professional qualification at level 3 or above e.g. nursing, mental health, education, criminal justice, youth work, therapeutic practice, counselling.
• GCSE grade C or above in English and maths, or a certified equivalent such as functional skills level 2.
• Recent experience of working with children and/or families.
• To meet the requirements of the Open University social worker degree apprenticeship programme. You can find out more here
Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria. Please note: To be eligible for apprenticeship funding you must not have previously studied towards a Social Work qualification, or currently be studying towards a Social Work qualification.

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years' continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website