Senior Social Worker - Substance Misuse Team

The starting salary for this role is £49,464 per annum (pro rata for part-time staff).

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 behaviours:

• A recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Substantial post-qualification experience as a Social Worker, applied knowledge of the Care Act 2014 and Mental Capacity Act 2005 and strong knowledge of current social care legislation and its application in practice
• Experience of providing professional supervision (including supervision of unqualified or non-professional staff).
• Strong knowledge of current social care legislation and its application in practice.
• Experience of undertaking safeguarding enquiries and managing complex cases.
• The ability to use professional judgement and a range of interventions to support individuals in challenging situations.
• Experience of providing reflective supervision, guidance and support to less experienced Social Workers, including ASYE practitioners and Social Work students.

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and staff may be required to travel across a wide geographical area. Therefore, a valid driving licence and access to a vehicle are desirable. Reasonable adjustments will be considered for successful applicants with a disability or long-term health condition.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 3 questions:

1. Please provide an example that demonstrates your understanding/experience of working with people with needs arising from Substance Misuse, including your approach to risk management and safeguarding enquiries, and how you keep your practice up to date through ongoing professional development.
2. Please describe a time you worked with partner agencies to ensure a high standard of support for an adult with substance misuse needs (and/or their carer), including how you communicated, coordinated actions and kept the person’s outcomes at the centre of the work.
3. Using an Substance Misuse case example, please describe the process you initiated to carry out a Mental Capacity Assessment and explain how you identified, assessed and managed risks, while respecting rights and autonomy. Please also outline any BI decision-making, safeguarding considerations, or Court of Protection applications that were required, and explain how you reviewed and evaluated outcomes over time.

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

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.

For an informal discussion please contact William McCarthy, Team Manager, on 07587215960 or at William.mccarthy@surreycc.gov.uk.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 23/08/2026 with interview dates to be confirmed.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

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 shortlisting criteria, as displayed on the advert, 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.