Job Description

Looking for a Social Work role where you can truly make a difference?
Do you thrive on a challenge and want to support children, young people, and families to build brighter futures? If that sounds like you-keep reading!
We're looking for a Senior Practitioner/Social Worker to join our team at Newry Family Resource Centre, part of Barnardo's. We're a trusted, long-standing service that supports families through tough times, helping them find strength and stability.
This role is all about working directly with children and families-listening, understanding, and helping them move forward. You'll carry out assessments and offer therapeutic support that can make a lasting impact.
We'd love to hear from you if you:

• Are a qualified Social Worker (with post-AYE experience)
• Have experience working with children and families undertaking assessment
• Build strong, trusting relationships with both children and adults
• Work well in a team and bring a positive, can-do attitude
• Believe in people's potential and want to help them reach it
• Are flexible and ready to adapt to meet families' needs
• Are committed to learning and growing in your role

What we offer:

• A warm, supportive team environment
• A full induction to help you settle in
• Regular supervision and team support
• Great training and development opportunities
• A chance to be part of something meaningful

Job details:

• Hours: Permanent, part-time (29.6 hours per week)
• Location: Newry, (You will also be expected to travel to the other Barnardo's sites, primarily Armagh and Dungannon Family Resource Centre) and occasional travel throughout the Southern Trust area.
• Salary: 35,390.46 - 43,392.02 (FTE)
• Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 5th October 2025
• Interviews: to be confirmed.

We'll also be creating a waiting list for similar roles that may come up across Barnardo's NI in the next year.
Interested?
Make sure your application shows how you meet the essential criteria in the Additional Information Sheet.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out:
Successful applicants will be required to undertake an Enhanced Access NI with Child and Adult Barred List check.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's . We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band - this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Skills Required