Advanced Social Worker

We have opportunities for Advanced Social Workers to join our Family Safeguarding Teams based across Woking and Guildford areas.

The salary range for Advanced Social Workers is £54,464 - £57,864 per annum. This is inclusive of a market supplement of £5,000. We also offer a financial package of up to £6,000 which is payable in 3 instalments across your first 18 months in post.

Our Offer to You

A competitive relocation package of up to £8,000
We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
28 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service (plus bank holidays)
Access to our car lease scheme
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
A generous local government salary related pension
Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
2 paid volunteering days per year
Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
Refer a friend payment of £1,000 as a thank you for finding the right Social WorkerA New Way of Working in Surrey - connecting with local communities and empowering families

Surrey's is embedding the Family First Partnership and will launch our new service models in the autumn as part of our ongoing transformation of Children's Services.

Working alongside colleagues from our Assessment, Family Safeguarding and Multi-Agency Partnership teams, Family Help will provide a more integrated approach to supporting children, young people and families. This means fewer handovers, stronger relationships and more coordinated support, with teams able to respond flexibly as families' needs change.

As you are applying for a role within one of the services coming together to form our new Family Help service, we wanted to make you aware of these exciting developments. Joining us now means you'll have the opportunity to help shape and be part of this new way of working from the very beginning.

About Surrey

Our Surrey Children's Services are actively working towards becoming a high-performing local authority, evidenced by the fact we are now starting to realise the positive impacts of the Family Safeguarding practice model in action with reductions in the number of children subject to child protection plans. We are working hard to sustain and develop our progress and this is driven by the efforts of every member of our social care workforce from our business support and family support workers to our frontline practitioners through to leadership- all working together to create and sustain the right conditions for a positive culture and well-supported workforce equipped to deliver consistent and good quality social work practice for our children and families.

Our Progress

We are proud of our Good Ofsted judgement, which reflects that practitioners are "skilled at building relationships with children who are subject of children in need or child protection plans. Creative direct work helps them to build a rounded understanding of children's daily lives." "They also build positive relationships with parents, enabling honest and sometimes difficult conversations." Overall "Staff are well-trained and committed, feel highly valued and are proud to work in Surrey."

About our Family Safeguarding Service

Our Family Safeguarding services include responsibility for our Family Safeguarding Model, Child In Need, as well as pre and court proceedings.

Within Family Safeguarding we use motivational interviewing, multi-agency approach under the Family Safeguarding model, where Social Workers, Family Support Workers, Domestic Abuse Practitioners, Recovery Workers, Mental Health Practitioners, and Psychologists collaborate closely to address family issues efficiently, reducing the need for referrals to other agencies.

As an Advanced Social Worker (ASW) you'll enjoy mentoring and collaborating with less experienced social workers within the team supporting their development. We aim for you to hold a reduced caseload to enable you to support effectively whilst also deputising for the Team Manager when needed. This is a great role for anyone looking to enhance their professional development and take a step towards a management position.

We strive to provide a supportive and dynamic work environment for our staff, that fosters growth, maintains work-life balance, and rewards efforts. We guarantee 5 days of CPD and have access to excellent research and development tools such as Community Care Inform, Care Knowledge and Research In Practice.

Why Choose Surrey?

Surrey is a large and ambitious local authority meaning we can draw from a range of available resources to support the delivery of our services to children and their families, but that's just part of it. It's our staff that truly make the difference day in day out and we'd like to share with you some of their insights as to why they choose to be part of Surrey Children's social care workforce.

Our staff highlighted that you can expect…

Positive team and colleague relationships - You'll have the opportunity to be part of a team that thrives on positive working relationships, where collaboration with supportive colleagues in your team, across the organisation and with key partners will enable and enrich your practice.
Flexibility and work-life balance - We are committed to agile working and trust you to adapt your schedule to suit your needs, balancing this against the need to visit your children and families. It is our expectation that staff attend the office at least 2 days per week.
Opportunities and support for professional development - You can benefit from a structured environment that encourages growth and development. You'll have access to ongoing training opportunities via our Surrey Children's Service Academy, including our coaching and mentoring scheme, a well-structured progression pathway, learning opportunities and reflective and task focused supervision.
A sense of belonging and familiarity - You'll be part of our welcoming and approachable social work family where you'll be able to draw on the knowledge of established team members to support your understanding of the local area and available resources, working for a team where your individual expertise are valued and where you can have fun together.
A focus on wellbeing - We recognise that you are a valuable asset and key to unlocking the positive changes we aspire for with our children and families. The job you do is serious therefore we take your well being seriously and recognise the need for reflective supervision where wellbeing is front and centre of the conversation.Your Application, Our Inclusive Approach

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

Qualified Social Work degree and SWE Registration
Car driver with a valid UK license
ASYE completed, within two years of qualifying
UK social work experience
Three years post-qualified experienceSurrey has both urban and rural areas and Social Workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

To apply you will need to upload your CV and answer the following questions (No more than 200 words per question):

Please tell us what has motivated you to apply for this role?
Please tell us about the key skills and experience you will be able to bring to this role.
What is your understanding of Surrey's Practice Model for family safeguarding? Can you describe the strengths and challenges of this model?Next Steps

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a short virtual call to explore your answers to the application questions (lasting approx. 15- 20 mins) If successful following this, you will be invited for an in-person interview, allowing you to meet the team, check out your potential office and get a feel for what your journey might look like.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment. That's why, if you're invited to a face-to-face interview, we'll share the themes of the questions with you in advance. This way, you can prepare and feel comfortable, allowing you to confidently discuss your skills and experiences.

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