Social Worker - Adult Services

In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ. 

Looking ahead, there are plans for the delivery of new homes and new schools and the London Cancer Hub is being developed, while the Council is also seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment.

All of this demonstrates a good track record and an authority that is ambitious and set to deliver more improvements for the borough. We've set out our vision for the future of Sutton in our corporate plan - Ambitious for Sutton. This strategic plan will shape the outcomes we achieve, the services we provide, and the impact we have on residents, to make Sutton a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Social Worker - Adult Services 

Grade 8 £37,038 - £44,814 (£46,857 unconsolidated maximum)

Social Workers within Adult Services receive a Retention Bonus of £1000 for every completed year in service

Whole package totals up to £47,857 (including Retention Bonus)

Social Workers within this service area are able to work flexibly between home and work to meet the needs of the service whilst recognising the benefits that a hybrid model of working can bring.

We are looking for confident and skilled Social Workers to work within the Adult Services team. Our objective is to deliver the best outcomes in improving the quality of life for Adults within Sutton.

Reporting to a Team Manager, Social Workers are responsible for supporting people who have complex needs and who may be in high risk situations. Working within the Care Act 2014, Social Workers in this team undertake carer's assessments and eligibility assessments whilst supporting planning and reviews. You will ensure appropriate advocacy or representation to ensure an individual's human rights are understood and promoted. Our work also covers daily enquiries to the team’s duty system, including initial safeguarding responses and protection planning as well as undertaking investigations.

Our vision encapsulates the community-based approach and commitment to improving the quality of life and well-being for all Sutton residents.

PRIDE - the acronym that illustrates our five core values which reinforce the vision and provide the underlying context to the ways in which we work:

• Working in PARTNERSHIP with the people who live and work in the borough 
• Making our services open and accessible so that everyone is listened to and treated with RESPECT 
• Seeking INNOVATIVE approaches in order to provide better, more cost-effective services 
• Promoting DIVERSITY and ensuring that we recognise and celebrate difference within the context of fairness and equality 
• EMPOWERING everyone so that we can all 'take part and take pride' as active citizens and staff.

Locality Teams

Services for older people, people with physical and sensory disabilities and people with mental health related needs are delivered by our 4, locality teams.  These bring Social Workers together with NHS colleagues, supporting holistic, integrated working.  The teams are based in Carshalton, Wallington, Sutton and Cheam

Hospital Team

Staff within our hospital team work closely with NHS colleagues to facilitate safe, timely discharge.  Their priority is to enable people to return to their own homes, utilising reablement and other services to enable them regain independence.

Learning Disability Teams

Within our boroughwide health and social care service for people with learning disabilities there are two Social Work teams - one for young people aged 18-25 and one for older adults.   Staff work closely with colleagues from the LD Clinical Health Team, children services and other local partners to achieve a smooth transition for young people to adulthood, independence, wellbeing and choice.

The successful candidates will be an enthusiastic and motivated individual with a caring and calm approach. You will demonstrate empathy when dealing with sensitive situations and strong interpersonal  and communication skills using different ways of communicating. Showcasing the ability to assess and record an adults needs, applied through evidence based practice to justify decision making. 

In addition, We would expect the successful candidate to demonstrate the following competences (not limited to):

• You are a Qualified Social Worker registered with the relevant regulatory body Social Work England with a Social Work degree or recognised equivalent qualification.
• Have completed the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
• Have a good level of experience of working adults with learning disabilities and have managed a complex case load
• Hold the relevant skills, knowledge and aptitude to ensure that all vulnerable people are safeguarded from abuse and that all statutory functions, local policy, procedures are adhered to in a timely manner and documented accordingly.
• Be able to use professional power and authority in an appropriate and proportionate way ensuring that individuals are safeguarded and their rights protected.
• To be able to work with our partner agencies in ensuring an adults needs are met and plans are in place to keep them safeguarded.
• Able to travel both within London Borough of Sutton and more widely to visit people in other parts of the British Isles as necessary 

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across - however big or small - will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
• Flexi-time (Please note, this applies to roles at grades 1-9 only)
• Comprehensive learning and development programme
• Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Car parking scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
• Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
• Subsidised gym membership

Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.

To support our diversity agenda and reduce the risk of bias in our recruitment activities, our short listing process completely anonymises personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc. Our hiring managers review and short list applications based on the information provided as part of your application as to how well you meet the requirements and criteria for the role, as outlined in the job profile.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Borough and we aim to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve - the key highlights from our recent Equalities Workforce Report can be seen here. We are respectful of difference and realise the positive value of diversity in our workforce. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. As part of our Disability Confident Committed status, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.

The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.