This part time role has a starting salary of £34,699 per annum based on a 28-hour working week, pro-rata to £44,614. We also offer a?financial package of up to £6,000 which is payable in 3 instalments across your first 18 months in post.

We are excited to be hiring a new Advanced Social Worker to join our fantastic Children with Disabilities Service. We have bases in Woodhatch Place in Reigate, Quadrant Court in Woking and Ashley Park House in Walton on Thames. This is a great opportunity that will support the development of practice across the whole service.

When not working with our residents in the community, we are keen to support agile working with a combination of home and office working. We are keen to get the balance right of providing flexibility but ensuring you feel connected to your team and the service.

Rewards and Benefits

• We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
• 28?days annual leave, rising to 30?days after 5?years' service (plus bank holidays) pro-rata for part-time
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the team

The Children with Disabilities Service works with children with severe and complex disabilities. We work across all areas of social work including Children in Need, Child Protection and Looked After Children. Our goal is to do all we can to support families to care for their children in their own families and we work closely with our multi-agency partners to achieve this. We are focussed on the long-term outcomes for children through being aspirational and supporting independence. Our work with the Adult Social Care Transition team is a key part of this work. We have four Social Work teams across the County with a countywide Family Review Team who support stable and settled families. We are a dynamic and creative service, and we pay attention to professional development and progression. Getting it right for disabled children and young people is at the heart of what we do, and welcome practitioners who share our passion for this work.

About the role

We're seeking a qualified and registered Social Worker to take on the role of practice champion for Preparation for Adulthood. As a proactive and motivated professional, you will utilise your expertise and analytical skills to drive positive change within the team.

In this role you will guide and support staff in achieving and maintaining best practices relevant to their roles. Your responsibilities will include leading Mental Capacity Assessments and Best Interest work, collaborating with allocated social workers to conduct assessments and facilitate decision-making processes.

Additionally, you'll lead practice learning sessions to empower social workers in applying the Mental Capacity Act confidently. You'll provide guidance on completing Deprivation of Liberty applications and assist in developing paperwork, systems and processes to ensure compliance with the Mental Capacity Act.

Your role will extend to creating resources and communication materials for young people, parents/carers and professionals to enhance their understanding of Mental Capacity and decision-making processes. You'll also focus on involving young people in their care planning and decision-making, ensuring evidence of direct engagement.

Importantly, you'll strengthen collaborative efforts with Transition Team colleagues and facilitate timely Continuing Health Care checklists as part of the transition referral process. Upholding the Family Safeguarding model of practice will be integral to your work in assessing young people.

This role is countywide, but there is flexibility in choosing your work base.

Shortlisting criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Experience and knowledge related to Mental Capacity Act assessments and best interest decision making
• Experience of working with young people and supporting their Transition
• You may have an adult social care background, children's social care or both.
• Experience of making applications to court and producing reports to a high standard
• You will need to be registered with Social Work England and have the willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role

Contact us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 14th April 2024 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.