Closing date: 8 July 2026
- Location: Yeovil
- Salary: £41,771 rising annually, currently up to £46,142
- Full-time, 37 hours per week
- 30 days annual leave entitlement
Role Purpose
As an Advanced Practitioner Social Worker within the Hospital Interface Service (HIS), you will provide high-quality professional leadership within a fast-paced hospital environment, ensuring excellent, strengths-based social work practice across Adult Social Care. You will support adults with complex needs during hospital admission, stay and discharge, championing a Home First approach. Working closely with health partners, you will help people return home safely where possible, reduce unnecessary admissions and support timely, person-centred discharge planning. This role is ideal for an experienced and confident social worker ready to step into advanced practice, leadership and service development.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide professional leadership and advanced practice within the HIS.
- Oversee complex cases, offering expert advice, joint working and decision-making.
- Support safe, timely hospital discharge and admission avoidance using strengths-based approaches.
- Lead and support safeguarding practice, including complex risk management and mental capacity decision-making.
- Provide reflective supervision and professional guidance to social workers.
- Collaborate with health colleagues across acute hospitals, intermediate care and community services.
- Contribute to development, monitoring and quality assurance of service performance and practice standards.
- Act as expert knowledge source in legislation, policy and best practice (Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, safeguarding duties).
Essential Skills & Experience
- Qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England.
- Extensive post-qualifying experience within Adult Social Care, ideally hospital-based.
- Strong working knowledge of Hospital discharge and community support guidance, Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, safeguarding legislation and guidance.
- Proven ability to manage complexity, risk and ethical decision-making in fast-moving environments.
- Experience supporting and supervising practitioners, promoting reflective and strengths-based practice.
- Excellent communication, leadership and partnership-working skills.
About the Team/Service
The Hospital Interface Service (HIS) is a vital part of Somerset’s integrated health and social care system. Based within acute hospitals, the service focuses on supporting people to return home safely, avoid unnecessary admissions and regain independence following a hospital stay. Guided by hopeful social work principles, HIS practitioners work alongside health colleagues to challenge pessimism, promote possibility and keep people connected to their communities.
Additional Information
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. Sponsorship will be assessed as part of the recruitment process. This is available only to candidates currently living in the UK, as we cannot provide resettlement support.
As the service operates across Somerset, a largely rural county with limited public transport, applicants must have full access to a vehicle usable for work purposes. We welcome applications from disabled individuals who may require reasonable adjustments.
For an informal chat about the role, contact Helen Readdy, Recruitment and Engagement Officer – Adults (helen.readdy@somerset.gov.uk).
Person Specification
Essential
- Social Work qualification.
- Current and valid registration with Social Work England.
- Evidence of continued professional development.
- Knowledge of social work practice, risk management and statutory requirements.
- Strong understanding of relevant legislation and policy frameworks.
- Capacity to work autonomously and as part of a team, applying professional judgement and ethical principles.
Desirable
- Working towards or holding a Post Qualifying Professional Standard.
- Extensive knowledge of social work approaches across diverse populations.
- Experience in supporting staff with complex casework, leading meetings and producing action plans.
- Understanding of system thinking to reduce demand and costs.
- Experience operating within a budgetary framework.
- Demonstrated leadership and engagement in professional development of staff.
