Principal Social Worker - Resilient Families Service

Principal Social Worker – Resilient Families Service (Assessment, Brokerage & Review Team – East) 
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council

Hoop Social Work is delighted to be recruiting for a Principal Social Worker within the Resilient Families Service in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

This is a fantastic opportunity to step into a senior practitioner role within a forward-thinking, preventative service that is genuinely focused on early intervention, resilience and strengthening families.

About the Service

Working to the requirements of the Children Act 1989 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the Resilient Families Service delivers effective Team Around the Family arrangements across RCT, providing early intervention and preventative support to children, young people and families.

Within this service, the Assessment, Brokerage and Review Team (East) plays a pivotal role in:

• Providing timely responses to referrals

• Securing positive engagement with families

• Undertaking proportionate, resilience-based assessments

• Creating bespoke support plans from a wide range of interventions

• Directing and reviewing high-quality support from commissioned providers

This is a service that focuses on building capacity within families and strengthening support systems before escalation is required.

The Role

As Principal Social Worker, you will:

• Manage a defined caseload

• Undertake high-quality, proportionate assessments

• Apply clear threshold decision-making and sound risk assessment skills

• Mentor and support colleagues, sharing knowledge and expertise

• Build and maintain strong relationships with partner agencies

• Champion anti-oppressive and strengths-based practice

• Contribute to service development and continuous improvement

This is a leadership role within practice — ideal for a motivated, enthusiastic practitioner who enjoys mentoring others and influencing service delivery.

You’ll be supported by an experienced and stable management team at both operational and strategic levels, with genuine opportunities to shape and develop practice.

Why Join This Service?

RCT has made significant investment into Social Care in recent years, strengthening preventative services and adding capacity to frontline teams.

Practitioners benefit from:

• A strong emphasis on early intervention and prevention

• A dedicated in-house Learning & Development Centre

• Ongoing support for Continuous Professional Development

• A culture that recognises the professional and personal demands of social work

 To Apply, You’ll Need:

• Minimum 6 months’ UK experience as a registered Social Worker

• A recognised Social Work qualification

• Registration with Social Care Wales or Social Work England

• Enhanced DBS (Update Service or willing to apply)

• 3 years of referencing

• Full driving licence and access to a car

Applicants must hold a recognised Social Work qualification and maintain registration with Social Care Wales upon appointment.

⚠️ Due to the nature of the role, only applications from qualified Social Workers registered with Social Care Wales or Social Work England can be considered. No sponsorship available.

💛 Why Work With Hoop Social Work?

With over 20 years’ experience in the Social Work market, Hoop offers:

• A local Cardiff-based agency that understands the Welsh sector

• Welsh-speaking consultant available if preferred

• PAYE or Umbrella payroll options – you choose

• Dedicated consultant support (with team cover when on leave)

• Twice weekly payroll

• Free CPD training sessions

• Refer-a-friend scheme

• Wellbeing sessions

• Birthday gifts 🎂

Hoop actively supplies every Local Authority across South/West Wales and the South West of England.

📞 For an informal chat, contact Sarah Leigh at Hoop Social Work on 02922 400519 today.

If you’re ready to take on a senior role within a preventative, resilience-focused service where your leadership and professional judgement will be valued — we’d love to hear from you