Find out about changes to our services and Christmas opening times on our Festive information page. To find out when your bin will be collected over the festive period, visit Changes to County Durham bin collections at Christmas.

Due to maintenance, the following systems will be unavailable from 11.45am on Tuesday 24 December until 8.00am on Thursday 2 January: our online Council Tax, business rates and housing benefit services, and our welfare assistance form. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Developing your career in social work

Durham County Council is the largest local authority in the northeast. We have excellent opportunities for career progression, whether you want to broaden your experience as a social worker, become a practice educator, step into management, or move into a more senior management role.

Our Social Work in Durham: Development Pathway (PDF, 307 KB) shows how your social work career can develop from your first Social Work England registration, through to roles which expand your expertise, give you opportunities to model best practice or step into your first management role and beyond.

How we support your professional development

Our offer includes:

Five days a year to spend undertaking continuing professional development
A wide range of short learning and development opportunities (both classroom and elearning)
Access to Community Care Inform, Research in Practice and Coram BAAF for every social worker
Access to qualifications such as the Practice Educator Award
Access to funding for specialist training through our Professional Development Fund
Coaching support
Aspiring Managers Programme to help you step up to the next level, whether that is practice educator, enhanced practitioner, social work consultant, team manager, or even head of service
An in-house innovative Leadership Academy Programme alongside the national Pathways leadership development programme

Contact HR Resourcing

Email resourcing@durham.gov.uk