Social Worker | EmPower (Contextual Safeguarding Team) | East Lancashire | Full Time

| Salary £36,363,-£46,142 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Pro Rata

Social Worker – EmPower (Contextual Safeguarding Team), East Lancashire

Are you a motivated, dynamic, and relationship‑focused social worker with a passion for improving outcomes for adolescents? Do you understand the complexities of extra‑familial harm and feel confident working within community settings? If you bring creativity, curiosity, and commitment to your practice—and thrive in a team that values innovation, co‑production, and strong partnership working—then this could be the perfect role for you.

About EmPower

EmPower is Lancashire’s dedicated contextual safeguarding service, supporting young people aged 12–18 who are at risk of harm outside the family home. This includes risks such as exploitation, peer‑on‑peer harm, missing episodes, unsafe peer associations, and concerns linked to community or online environments.

Our team works within a strengths‑based, trauma‑informed, and relational framework that ensures the child’s voice, lived experiences, and wider community context are central to everything we do.

Careers in Children’s Services

Lancashire is a county we’re incredibly proud of—and we’re equally proud of the vital role the council plays within it. As the fourth largest local authority in the UK, and the largest in the North, we serve 1.2 million residents and deliver a wide range of innovative services that make a real difference.

Working in Children’s Services can be both challenging and deeply rewarding. To ensure our practitioners can provide the highest standard of support to children and families, we prioritise a positive culture and invest heavily in reflective practice, professional development, and staff wellbeing.

Our Social Work Academy

All new recruits join our well‑established Social Work Academy—one of the first of its kind nationally. The Academy provides:

A comprehensive one‑week induction for all new staff

An additional week of induction for ASYEs

Regular recall days and ongoing training throughout your first year

Support from experienced Advanced Practitioners

Access to the latest research and practice developments

Why Join Us?

A strong, reflective, and supportive learning culture

Excellent training and development opportunities

Clear pathways for career progression

Flexible working with the equipment needed to work from home

Managers who prioritise wellbeing and positive team cultures

Opportunities to join practitioner forums and wider initiatives

Internal Applicants

If you are already employed by Lancashire County Council, please apply via the internal vacancies option on Oracle Fusion (Me → Current Jobs).

Want to Know More?

For further information about the role, please contact: Nicola Holt – nicola.holt@lancashire.gov.uk [nicola.holt@lancashire.gov.uk]

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications

Job Description and Person Specification