Adults Senior Social Worker - Transitions

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This permanent role has a starting salary of £47,884 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. Part time applications are also welcomed.

We have a great opportunity to join the Transition Team as a Senior Social Worker. We support hybrid working with the right balance. We request office attendance for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week), alongside community visits, 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 residents.

About The Role

The Transition Team are a specialist Adult Social Care team supporting young adults as they move into adulthood. We work closely with young people and their carers/families from aged 14. As a Senior Social Worker, you will be managing and prioritising a complex case load, legal court work, working closely with partners, completing Section 42 enquiries, working on duty, supporting the team with professional development and supervising junior members of the team to ensure a high-quality standard of service is provided.

Our team offers a positive, supportive working environment where training and development is prioritised. We would like to hear about your substantial post-qualification professional experience as a Social Worker and your experience of providing professional supervision.

Operating at the intersection of policy, practice, and partnership, you will drive improvements in service quality, early intervention, and integrated working, ensuring that individuals and their carers receive the right support at the right time.

You will have a strong opportunity to influence how services evolve, contributing to innovation and continuous improvement across both Adults’ and Children’s Social Care. By building effective relationships with colleagues, partners, and local communities, they will help shape more responsive, inclusive, and sustainable approaches that align with long-term organisational goals.

This role offers significant scope to make a tangible difference, enhancing the experiences of young people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and autism, as well as their families and carers, while reducing inequalities and ensuring resources are used effectively. Through professional leadership, insight, and a commitment to best practice and sound budget management, the postholder will deliver measurable impact at both operational and strategic levels.

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. Analysing risk, apply legislation confidently, and making sound, defensible professional judgements.
• The 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 multi‑agency responses, and ensuring legal and procedural compliance.
• The ability to communicate effectively with individuals, families, and professionals, adapting their approach for people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, or communication barriers. Managing conflict constructively and ensuring the person’s voice remains central.
• The confidence to work across health, housing, commissioning, and provider services. Evidence an understanding of Surrey’s internal pathways—such as Consistency Practice Methods Meetings, brokerage, and specialist teams—and use this knowledge 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 you will be asked the following 4 questions:

1. Why are you applying for a Senior Social Work post in the Transition Team
2. How do you promote choice, control and inclusion in your practice?
3. What do you see as the opportunities presented by MCA?
4. How do you guide and support less experienced team members?

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

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.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 07/06/2026 with interviews planned to follow.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact Sally Graham on MS teams or by email.

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.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

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.