We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Senior Social Worker with a passion for improving the lives of adults experiencing issues related to substance misuse. In return for your commitment to Surrey residents, we will provide excellent development opportunities, high-quality supervision, and support to help you progress your career within a specialist service.
Our Offer to You
26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (pro-rated for part time opportunities)
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 residents
About the Team
Our Substance Misuse Team is a small but experienced specialist service, offering an excellent opportunity for Social Workers looking to further develop their expertise within a busy, county-wide service.
We are co-located with our health provider colleagues across three sites and enjoy excellent working relationships with partner agencies across the substance misuse sector. The team has a strong identity within Surrey's Lifelong Services Directorate and plays a key role in supporting adults with complex needs to achieve better outcomes.
We are committed to creating opportunities for people to develop their social networks, interpersonal skills and independence through meaningful engagement in their communities. Our work focuses on prevention, reducing social isolation, promoting recovery, and supporting individuals to maintain and develop independent living skills.
As a team, we are developing specialist expertise in Mental Capacity Assessments within the context of substance misuse and actively support career development opportunities, including progression towards becoming a Best Interest Assessor (BIA), Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP), or Practice Educator.
You will benefit from regular supervision, visible management support, peer learning opportunities and strong multi-agency working. This is a collaborative and supportive team environment where professional development and reflective practice are highly valued.
About the Role
As a Senior Social Worker, you will work with adults who have complex social care needs related to substance misuse and associated challenges. Using a strengths-based approach, you will undertake assessments, provide direct social work intervention, and support individuals and their carers to maximise independence, choice and control in their lives. You will manage complex cases, apply professional judgement in challenging situations, and work collaboratively with health colleagues and partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
Alongside your casework responsibilities, you will provide professional guidance, mentoring and supervision to colleagues, supporting the continued development of social work practice within the team. You will work closely with Team Managers to improve processes, contribute to service development, and help shape high-quality, effective social care services.
You will also lead on complex assessments, safeguarding enquiries and risk management, while promoting strengths-based, person-centred approaches in all aspects of practice. To support your success, you will receive a structured induction programme and ongoing professional development opportunities throughout your career with us.
Shortlisting Criteria
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our
Salary description
£49464.00 - £52864.00 per year