Social Work Apprentices

Make Dorset The First Step in Your Social Work Career

We have Social Work Degree Apprenticeship opportunities across our teams and localities, where you will be supported throughout your three-year programme by a team of dedicated professionals.

We are looking for people who have a genuine interest in relationship-based practice and a strengths-based approach to building effective relationships with children, families, and communities. If you are committed to making a difference to the lives of children and young people, we want to hear from you.

The Social Worker Degree Apprenticeship is a three-year practice-based learning programme that combines on- and off-the-job learning and development, delivered flexibly around the demands of your workplace. As an apprentice in one of our locality teams you will develop the skills and knowledge to become a qualified social worker.

Through successful completion of this apprenticeship, you will gain:

• Practice experience and evidence of assessed competency in the workplace
• A professionally qualifying degree in Social Work
• The right to register with Social Work England and practice as a newly qualified social worker

In Dorset, the requirement is that candidates have :

• Right to work in the UK
• GCSE equivalent in Maths and English
• a minimum of 2 years’ experience of working in a face-to-face role with individuals and you must be able to demonstrate the potential to study at undergraduate degree level.

Further Information

To be able to meet the assessed practice learning requirements, this is a full time post, with 4 days a week working pattern and one day a week study. There is a national requirement that apprenticeships work a 30 hour minimum but Dorset posts are full time at 37 hours a week.

This role requires significant travel, you must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use a needed.

For an informal discussion please call Amy Trim on 01305 225536 or email [email protected]

This post involves working with children and having access to significant information about them and will therefore be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check.

This role is UK based and we will need to establish your Right to Work as part of the appointment process.

First stage interviews will be held w/c 12th May 2025

If you are successful at the first stage you will then be invited to apply to the University providing the Degree Apprenticeship.

About Us

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.