Description
We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.
The starting salary for this role is £47,884 per annum, working 36 hours per week, or £43,095 per annum, working 32.4 hours per week.
These are secondment opportunities – the full time (36 hours) position is until 30/09/2026 and the part time (32.4 hours) position is until 31/03/2027. Please seek permission from your line manager before applying.
We have a great opportunity to join our Learning Disability and Autism East Team as a Senior Social Worker on a secondment. We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for 1 day per week on average (20% of the working week) and support working from home the rest of the time.
Our Offer to You
1. 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
2. Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
3. A generous local government salary related pension
4. Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
5. Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
6. An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
7. Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
8. Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
9. A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents
About The Role
We have a two vacancies to join our allocations team on a secondment basis working with complex cases in order to meet their desired outcomes. This includes managing and prioritising a complex case load, legal court work, partnership working with our health colleagues, completing Section 42 enquiries, supporting the team with professional development and supervising junior members of the team to ensure a high quality standard of service is provided.
Our team offers a positive, supportive working environment where training and development is prioritised. We would like to hear about your substantial post-qualification professional experience as a Social Worker and your experience of providing professional supervision.
Your Application
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our :
10. Advanced Assessment & Decision‑Makingability to carry out and quality‑assure complex assessments, including safeguarding enquiries, Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interests decisions, and Care Act assessments. They analyse risk, apply legislation confidently, and make sound, defensible professional judgements.
11. The ability to provide practice leadership within the team, offering guidance, mentoring, and support to newly qualified social workers, students, and colleagues. Model high‑quality practice and contribute to improving standards across the service.
12. Skill in leading safeguarding enquiries, coordinating multi‑agency responses, and ensuring legal and procedural compliance.
13. The ability to communicate effectively with individuals, families, and professionals, adapting their approach for people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, or communication barriers. Managing conflict constructively and ensuring the person's voice remains central.
14. The confidence to work across health, housing, commissioning, and provider services. Evidence an understanding of Surrey's internal pathways—such as CPMM, brokerage, and specialist teams—and use this knowledge to coordinate holistic, person‑centred support.
Surrey has both urban and rural areas and locality based social care workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area.Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.
To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:
15. Describe a complex case you managed. What made it challenging, and how did you approach it?
16. What process do you follow when identifying, analysing, and managing risks in a case?
17. Have you ever encountered conflicting priorities between agencies? How did you manage this?
18. How do you identify when a team member is struggling and what steps do you take to support them?
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our to get an insight into working at Surrey.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 06/04/2026 with interview dates to be confirmed
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.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.
Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here:
Our Commitment
We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.
Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.
Files to download