Children's Social Work Apprentice (Post Graduate Diploma)

Do you want a career where you can make a genuine difference to children and families across Devon? We have five exciting opportunities to join Children’s Services as a Social Work Apprentice, completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work while gaining valuable experience on the job. The programme starts in January 2027.

What you'll do at work

Some tasks listed in the job description include:

• Manage and monitor a workload of cases as directed.
• Organise work activities taking into account the need to prioritise tasks and responsibilities while ensuring statutory responsibilities are undertaken. This will involve contributing to the assessment of children or adults at risk.
• To provide targeted support to people with complex needs: apply skilled interventions either as a response to crisis or as part of longer-term work.
• To support a high quality and effective social work service to respond to the needs of adults/children and their families in a timely manner and within statutory guidelines, directorate policies, standards and guidelines.
• To support the assessment of need, plan and deliver focused intervention and support to promote positive outcomes and protect adults at risk.
• Work with users of social work services and their families with complex needs/situations where statutory intervention is required, under the guidance of a social worker.
• Use evidence-based knowledge and tools in work with people.
• Build honest and productive relationships with colleagues, adults/children and their families.

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship. This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• Taw View, North Walk, Barnstaple, EX31 1EE
• Devon County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD
• Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, TQ9 5NE

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

Training course

Social worker (integrated degree) (level 6)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Ensure professional ethical standards are developed, maintained and promoted.
• Take responsibility for your decisions and recommendations.
• Be aware of the impact of your own values on practice.
• Exercise authority as a Social Worker within the appropriate legal and ethical frameworks.
• Ensure the highest standard of person centred approach, so that people are treated with dignity and their rights, values and autonomy are respected.
• Practise in a non-discriminatory manner.
• Hear the views of people who use services, carers, their families and communities, recognise their expertise, and enable their views to have validity and influence.
• Promote the best interests of people who use services, carers, their families and communities.
• Work with people to enable them to make informed decisions and exercise their rights.
• Work to promote individual growth, development and independence.
• Undertake assessments of need and/or capacity.
• Initiate resolution of issues and use initiative.
• Gather, analyse, critically evaluate, and use research information and knowledge in your practice to develop an understanding of the individual’s situation.
• Make and receive referrals appropriately.
• Use social work methods, theories, and models to enable individuals to identify actions to achieve change and improve life opportunities.
• Manage and weigh up competing/conflicting values or interests to make reasoned professional judgement.
• Work within scope of practice as an autonomous professional.
• Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.
• Manage the physical and emotional impact of your practice.
• Identify and apply strategies to build professional and emotional resilience.
• Use supervision to support and enhance the quality of your practice.
• Maintain your own health and well-being.
• Recognise the need to manage workloads and resources effectively.
• Keep your skills, knowledge and ongoing professional development up to date.
• Show an awareness of current and relevant legislation.
• Use a range of research methodologies to inform your practice.
• Work in partnership with others
• Balance appropriate levels of autonomy within a complex system of accountability
• Respond appropriately to unexpected situations, identify and challenge practices which present a risk to, or from, people you are working with, their carers or others in order to uphold professional requirements.
• Respond appropriately to signs of harm, abuse and neglect.
• Establish and maintain personal and professional boundaries.
• Follow health and safety policies and procedures.
• Communicate in English at the level required by Social Work England.
• Communicate your role and purpose sensitively and clearly, using appropriate language and methods.
• Communicate in a way which is engaging, respectful, motivating, and effective, even when dealing with conflict or resistance to change.
• Exercise professional curiosity.
• Have difficult conversations with empathy.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills.
• Engage with individuals and their families/carers and sustain effective relationships in order to effect change
• Engage effectively in inter-professional and inter-agency working to achieve positive outcomes.
• Support networks, groups, and communities to meet needs and outcomes.
• Maintain accurate and complete records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols, and guidelines.
• Prepare formal reports in line with legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Critically reflect on/review practice and record the outcomes of reflection appropriately.
• Present reports in formal settings.
• Use technology to manage your work.
• Use technology to communicate appropriately.
• Maintain individuals’ information security and protect data.
• Advise people on how to use assistive technology.
• Promote the use of technology to achieve better outcomes.