This full-time, permanent position has a starting salary of £47,884 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.
We have a great opportunity for a Senior Social Worker to join our fantastic East Area team based at Woodhatch in Reigate. We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week) and support working from home the rest of the time.
Our Offer to You
26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residentsAbout The Role
As a Senior Social Worker, you will deliver a high-quality professional service to adults, families and carers across Surrey, working autonomously in complex situations and using expert judgement to balance risk, safety and independence. You will complete proportionate assessments, develop strengths based support plans, lead safeguarding activity in more complex cases, and ensure clear understanding of processes such as NHS Continuing Health Care and the Mental Capacity Act. Your work will focus on promoting wellbeing, preventing deterioration, and enabling people to maintain choice, control and independence in line with the Care Act.
Alongside your casework, you will play an important leadership role within the team, supporting practice development, providing reflective supervision, mentoring less experienced colleagues. You will maintain high quality case records, uphold data protection requirements, and model Surrey County Council's values while promoting equality, inclusion and high standards of health, safety and welfare. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to service improvements, lead on key projects, and make a meaningful impact on outcomes for residents.
We are a fun team that works hard supporting each other, and we strive to ensure that anyone that joins us is welcomed and included. We offer regular supervision, a buddy support scheme and personal development plans, together with an amazing induction and training package, with regular quality of practice reflective sessions. We pride ourselves in empowering our staff to be independent professionals, so if you are a Senior Social Worker looking for a new challenge in an amazing team we're waiting to hear from you!
Your Application
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
Advanced assessment & decision making ability to carry out and quality assure complex assessments, including safeguarding enquiries, Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interests decisions, and Care Act assessments
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.
Skill in leading safeguarding enquiries, coordinating multiagency responses, and ensuring legal and procedural compliance.
The ability to communicate effectively with individuals, families, and professionals, adapting approach for people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, or communication barriers. Managing conflict constructively and ensuring the person's voice remains central
Confidence to work across health, housing, commissioning, and provider services. Understanding of Surrey's internal pathways-such as CPMM, brokerage, and specialist teams 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 answer the following 4 questions:
Please describe a complex case you managed. What made it challenging, and how did you approach it?
What process do you follow when identifying, analysing, and managing risks in a case?
Have you ever encountered conflicting priorities between agencies? How did you manage this?
How do you identify when a team member is struggling and what steps do you take to support them?The job advert closes at 23:59 on 3rd May with interviews planned to follow.
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.
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