• Posts in various locations: Taunton, South Somerset and Bridgwater
• Hybrid working opportunities
• 30 days annual leave entitlement

Working as part of a small, supportive Preparing for Adulthood service in the West or East of Somerset, completing Care Act assessments, reviews, mental capacity assessments, Safeguarding Enquiries and Court of Protection work.  We operate a duty system in both sides of the County that everyone in the team participates in.  This offers different ways of working with the people we support for example using motivational interviewing skills and crisis intervention work and positive risk management.

You will be given the opportunity to work closely with colleagues and specialist professionals to contribute to decision making as part of our weekly Peer Forum discussions.  These are designed to enable a “critical friend” approach to request for increases to personal budgets and packages of care.

We work closely with other specialist teams in the Authority such as Learning Disabilities, Commissioning, Occupational Therapy, DOLS team, Mental Health, Safeguarding, and CHC as well as having close links and partnership working with our LD Health colleagues in Somerset Foundation Trust.

We advocate working in a strength based and personalised way, operating under the three conversations model to enable people to live more independent and fulfilling lives with positive outcomes.

Our goal of working with people to develop gloriously ordinary lives remains the same throughout our practice which means:

• Encouraging people to be independent, helping them grow their confidence and make the most of the support available to suit their individual needs.
• Identifying what people and families are worried about or what they want to achieve, exploring what support they already have and what they need.
• Developing great knowledge of your local area and working in partnership with local agencies.
• Providing creative solutions.
• Being a critical part of developing our new and exciting Adult Social Care service.

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But to be successful in this role you will:

• Be a qualified Social Worker and be registered with Social Work England.
• Have access to/use of a vehicle which is an essential requirement for this role. 

At Somerset Council, we work hard to attract the best staff and we want to make sure that once you are on board, you are well supported and rewarded for the work you do.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• This grade offers 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and the option to request to buy up to 2 weeks additional annual leave pro rata.
• Hybrid working options where the role allows.
• A clear career pathway with apprenticeships, professional, leadership and academic programmes and qualifications, regular CPD opportunities and a corporate coaching and mentoring scheme
• A new comprehensive induction programme supported by Practice Development Advanced Practitioners, plus a confidential and impartial welcome call to ensure your induction goes smoothly.
• Ongoing support & development opportunities – regular CPD events arranged and delivered by our dedicated Adult Social Care Learning and Development team, including an annual Carnival of Practice event with key speakers such as the Chief Social Worker, a team of Advanced Practitioner – Practice Development roles to support our workforce, personalised personal development plans, a corporate coaching and mentoring scheme.
• Local Government pension scheme
• Employee support networks that acknowledge and celebrate the richness of diversity and equality within our workforce.
• Guaranteed Interview Schemes – Disability Confident, Veterans, Care Leavers
• Employee assistance and support offering a variety of wellbeing services and events to support a healthy work/life balance inc. a free online gym offer, dedicated Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors and much more!
• Relocation of up to £8000, subject to meeting eligibility requirements.
• Access to the Blue Light Card which offers thousands of discounts online and on the high street.
• My Staff Shop which offers a variety of discounts including cinemas, shopping, restaurants, gym discounts and more!
• Discounted lease car options via salary sacrifice, along with discounts on fuel

When applying, please state the area you’d like to be considered for.

This is a Grade 10 post with a current salary of £34,834 to £39,186 per annum. Appointments are normally made at the bottom of the salary scale. All Social Worker interviews will take place in person.

We are a socially active council and run many webinars and events, team away days, volunteering opportunities plus, hold regular staff Q&A sessions. We encourage professional development and training to support your learning and aspirations. And there are also a variety of networking groups and activities that you can join.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve so we will always welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our teams. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

Got a question about becoming a Social Worker with Somerset Council? Give Helen Readdy, Recruitment & Engagement Officer a call on: 01823 355166 / 07977410483 or email: Helen.Readdy@somerset.gov.uk

Investment

We have recently invested £1.4m into our workforce. As a result, we have substantially increased the number of social work, occupational therapy, advanced practitioner and other leadership posts. We’ve also increased; Adult Social Care Practitioner roles, introduced Occupational Therapy Assistants and strengthened our Business Support. This investment is enabling us to re-focus on providing excellent social work and occupational therapy practice and doing the right thing, with and for, the people we serve.

Smaller specialist teams

We have created smaller neighbourhood teams who will know and be part of their local communities, alongside new specialist teams including Mental Health Social Care, Learning Disabilities and Adult Safeguarding.

Additional posts

We have created additional Advanced Practitioner Posts to provide compassionate and visionary leadership, and developed effective, supportive teams with a strong sense of identity and belonging.

There are also new Practice Development Advanced Practitioner Posts within teams/services focusing on practice, social work values, human rights, social justice, anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice, and providing practice education, quality assurance and CPD.

Competency framework linked to Career pathways

We have launched a Competency Framework linked to a career pathway, and professional, leadership and academic programmes and qualifications.

We are prioritising the prevention agenda including our Occupational Therapy Service developing Somerset Independent Living Centres across Somerset.

Ambitious

We are ambitious and are working to make real change happen. We want relationship-based practice, compassionate leadership and co-production with the people we work with and serve, to be at the heart of all we do.

We are reclaiming narratives about social work and believe in the power of lived experiences of people (including workers), and sharing stories. To get a sense of this, listen to Social Work Sessions podcast: Social Work Sessions

You will be working alongside nationally recognised professionals with staff shortlisted for “Social Worker of the Year” awards 2022 and 2023.

We have a supportive and friendly culture… Don’t believe us? Checkout our Glassdoor rating.

Not currently living in Somerset? Don’t worry! Subject to meeting qualifying conditions, we offer relocation of up to £8,000.

Somerset has plenty to offer! Situated in a beautiful, rural county in a central southwest location but with good city links. With scenic countryside, historic sites, charming towns and villages, family-friendly attractions, beaches, festivals (Glastonbury!) and events, outdoor activities, zoos, water parks and plenty of local produce to try, there’s something for everyone!

This post requires a criminal background check via the Disclosure procedure.