Job Description

In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ.

Looking ahead, there are plans for the delivery of new homes and new schools and the London Cancer Hub is being developed, while the Council is also seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment.

All of this demonstrates a good track record and an authority that is ambitious and set to deliver more improvements for the borough. We\'ve set out our vision for the future of Sutton in our corporate plan - Ambitious for Sutton. This strategic plan will shape the outcomes we achieve, the services we provide, and the impact we have on residents, to make Sutton a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Situated in Zone 5, Sutton is less than 30 minutes by train from central London, and south and south west London are easily accessible by public transport. There are 10 train stations which serve key neighbourhoods within the borough providing direct connections to London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. Sutton also has direct rail connections with Epsom, Dorking, Guildford and Horsham, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and West Croydon for the London Overground. There\'s also an extensive road network which provides close and easy access to the M25 and M23.

About the Role

Qualified Social Worker - 18 - 25 Learning Disability Team (Adult Services)

Social Workers within Adult Services receive a Retention Bonus of \xc2\xa31000 for every completed year in service

Sutton are looking to recruit a dedicated and experienced Qualified Social Worker who is looking for an exciting and rewarding opportunity in Adult Services within our dynamic and supportive team. As a Qualified Social Worker, you will have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of young people with additional needs and their families. The role is unique in the close working relationships we have with Children\'s Services, Education and Health to ensure that children who are transitioning to Adult Services have the right support from the right people as they prepare for adulthood.

You will be responsible for;

• Conducting Care Act 2014 compliant eligibility assessments for young people and their carers, to identify eligible social care needs and developing focussed, person centred and strengths based outcomes within the support plans

• Monitoring, reviewing and maintaining up to date support plans, ensuring they meet the changing needs of young people and reflect good value for money whilst advocating for young people\'s rights, choices, and access to services.

• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people, adhering to relevant legislation and policies. Be able to identify and assess levels of risk and need (within statutory frameworks) in complex situations and undertake safeguarding investigations and deliver protective and/or supportive services for individuals at risk, including work that may be required by the Court of Protection

• Hold and effectively manage a complex and varied caseload with ability to make sound professional judgement with appropriate supervision, guidance, and support, reflecting the function of the team in accordance with policy, procedures, guidance and legislation.

• Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, including children\'s services, education, healthcare professionals and community partners to enable a holistic approach to meeting the needs of the young person

About Us

The 18-25 Learning Disability Team at Sutton takes pride in supporting staff to learn and develop, with a comprehensive induction programme and access to regular training on a diverse range of topics. Staff have regular professional supervision which covers probation, performance and annual appraisal to focus on career development.

Staff are able to work flexibly between home and office to meet the needs of the service, with a requirement of 2 office based days per week, as we recognise the benefit of a hybrid model of working.

We look forward to receiving your application for this exciting opportunity. For an informal conversation or further details about the role, please contact the Team Manager Meera Padhiar via email at for an informal conversation.

About You

We are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic, motivated individuals with a caring and calm approach. You will demonstrate empathy when dealing with sensitive situations and hold strong interpersonal and communication skills using different ways of communicating to ensure the young person\'s voice is heard.

Essential Requirements:

• Qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England and eligibility to work in the UK.

• 2 years post qualifying experience working in adult services, assessing and supporting individuals with diverse needs and successful completion of their ASYE.

• Sound knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Care Act 2014 and Mental Capacity Act 2005 as well as social work theories

• Experience in adult safeguarding work

• Strong assessment, outcome focussed care planning, and risk management skills.

• Ability to travel across the borough to visit individuals, occasionally being required to undertake visits out of borough.

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience working with people with learning disabilities

• Experience of carrying out Continuing Healthcare work

• Experience preparing documentation for the Court of Protection

• Have knowledge of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards process

Our Offer To You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we\'re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We\'re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across - however big or small - will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
• Flexi-time (Please note, this applies to roles at grades 1-9 only)
• Comprehensive learning and development programme
• Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Car parking scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
• Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
• Subsidised gym membership

Application Process

Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.

To support our diversity agenda and reduce the risk of bias in our recruitment activities, our short listing process completely anonymises personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc. Our hiring managers review and short list applications based on the information provided as part of your application as to how well you meet the requirements and criteria for the role, as outlined in the job profile.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Additional Information

We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Borough and we aim to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve - the key highlights from our recent Equalities Workforce Report can be seen We are respectful of difference and realise the positive value of diversity in our workforce. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. As part of our Disability Confident Committed status, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.

The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the for right to work guidance.

Important Information - Criminal Records

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory result to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

Sutton Council