Cumberland Council
Principal Social Worker (Childrens) - CMB2664e
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Principal Social Worker (Children’s)
Salary: £65,873 to £68,775 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Cumbria House, Carlisle
Contract: Permanent
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About This Opportunity
This is a unique opportunity to shape and influence the future of children's social work practice across the organisation. As Principal Social Worker, you will provide strategic and professional leadership, championing high-quality practice, workforce development, and continuous improvement across Children's Services.
Leading the Children's Social Work Academy, you will play a pivotal role in developing the next generation of social workers and supporting practitioners at every stage of their career, from students and newly qualified social workers through to experienced professionals. You'll work closely with senior leaders, partner agencies, universities, and regional networks to drive innovation, strengthen professional standards, and ensure children and families receive the highest quality support.
This role is ideal for an experienced and inspirational social work leader who is passionate about practice excellence, professional development, and creating a culture where practitioners are supported, challenged, and empowered to achieve the very best outcomes for children and young people.
This role is available on a permanent basis.
Who We’re Looking For
We’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.
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Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.
Contact
For more information about the role or to arrange an informal chat prior to your application, please contact Paige Thomason by email at Paige.Thomason@cumbria.gov.uk or phone 07756874012.
DBS Checks
This role requires a DBS check. The level of check for this role is:
- Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check.
Please note this role involves working in regulated activity with Children. It is an offence for people who are barred from working in regulated activity to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with Children.
Guaranteed Interviews
We offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.
- Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
- Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
- Those who identify as a member of the British Armed Forces community (service leavers, veterans, their partners or spouses, reservists, cadets).
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If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application. Find out more.
Diversity, Inclusion & Adjustments
We’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Leader and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.
If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing Resourcing@Cumberland.gov.uk. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.
Application and Interview Information
- Closing date: 02nd October 2026
- Interview date: 14th October 2026
If you experience any difficulties logging in to apply for this role, please contact the HR Systems team at HR.Systems@cumbria.gov.uk.
Please note this role may close early subject to demand. If you’re interested in applying, you should apply well before the advised closing date. We cannot accept applications once the role has closed.
Please Read The Supporting Information
Post Specification
Please also refer to our Careers site to find out more:
- Our Staff Benefits
- Candidate Support
- About Cumberland Council
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