Role Purpose
As an Advanced Practitioner Social Worker, you will provide professional leadership within a neighbourhood‑based service, supporting adults to live as independently as possible within their own communities. You will work closely with your team, health colleagues and community partners to promote independence through strengths‑based practice, developing an in‑depth understanding of local resources that enable people to remain connected to their families, networks and communities.
This role combines advanced practice, leadership and system working, allowing you to support complex cases, guide practitioners and shape integrated, community‑led care across neighbourhoods.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide professional leadership and advanced practice within your neighbourhood team
- Support and oversee complex cases, offering guidance, joint working and professional decision‑making
- Promote independence and prevention, enabling people to remain in their own homes and communities for longer
- Lead and support safeguarding practice, including complex risk management and mental capacity decision‑making
- Provide high‑quality reflective supervision to Social Workers and Adult Social Care Practitioners
- Work closely with health partners and neighbourhood PCNs, supporting integrated care delivery
- Develop strong links with community and voluntary sector organisations to enhance local provision
- Contribute to service development, shaping and improving neighbourhood‑based services
- Support workflow, risk management and decision‑making within the team alongside your Service Manager
Essential Skills & Experience
- Qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England
- Extensive post‑qualifying experience within Adult Social Care
- Strong knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and safeguarding legislation
- Experience supporting practitioners and leading complex case discussions
- Strong skills in risk management, analysis and professional decision‑making
- Excellent communication and partnership‑working skills across multidisciplinary teams
About the Team & Service
Advanced Practitioners work closely with their teams, health and community colleagues to build an in‑depth understanding of community resources that support independence. You will play a key role in ensuring residents are supported to remain within their local communities, promoting continuity, stability and strengths‑based solutions tailored to individual needs.
You Will Work Alongside
- Social Workers, Adult Social Care Practitioners and Occupational Therapists
- Health partners within neighbourhood PCNs
- Wider community and voluntary sector organisations
Additional Information
- Required to work from an office base a minimum of 2 days per week; remainder of time can be worked flexibly in a hybrid model
- The role involves supervising registered Social Workers and Adult Social Care Practitioners
- Opportunities for progression, leadership development and advanced practice are supported through supervision and training
- We may consider offering Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to suitably qualified overseas social workers who are already residing in the UK, provided they hold a recognised qualification and are registered with Social Work England
- Applicants must be able to travel to any location across Somerset and have full access to a vehicle for work purposes
- We recognise and welcome applications from disabled individuals who may require reasonable adjustments
Person Specification – Essential Criteria
- Social Work qualification
- Current and valid registration with Social Work England
- Evidence of continued professional development
- Holding or working towards Post‑Qualifying Professional Standard
- Extensive knowledge of social work practice, with emphasis on risk management for adults with long‑term conditions
- Extensive experience supporting staff with complex casework, including chairing meetings and establishing action plans
- Good understanding of statutory requirements and legislation application
- Understanding of system thinking to reduce demand and costs
- Experience operating within a budgetary framework and managing demand
- Demonstrate professional ethics and human rights framework in decision‑making
- Support others to reflect on how values influence practice
- Demonstrate confident leadership, management and arbitration of ethical dilemmas, and support professional development of others
- Promote people’s rights to autonomy and self‑determination, challenging and guiding others appropriately
- Provide critical reflection, evidence‑informed decision‑making in complex situations
- Routinely provide professional social work opinion based on clear rationale and advanced knowledge
- Demonstrate knowledge of legal and policy frameworks, case law and application to practice
- Apply working knowledge of human growth, development and influencing factors across the lifespan
- Work autonomously and collaboratively, creating new ways of working for service users and carers
- Recognise systemic approaches to understand the person in the environment and inform practice
- Exercise professional judgement to manage risk, including positive risk‑taking in complex situations
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories and models of intervention for individuals, families, children, groups and communities
- Awareness of changing contexts at local, national and organisational levels
- Promote a positive social work identity and collaborative team culture
- Anticipate and contribute to change management in the social work context
- Demonstrate personal and professional resilience and contribute to a learning environment
- Demonstrate awareness of own limitations, critical reflection and engage in regular supervision to improve practice
- Advocate for a culture encouraging reflection, learning and constructive feedback
