Adults Senior Social Care Assistant - East 2

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.

These roles have a starting salary of £33,552 per annum, working 36 hours per week (part-time applications will be accepted).

Are you passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives in a collaborative, innovative environment? We’re looking for a Senior Social Care Assistant to join our fantastic East 2 Area Teamoffering a rewarding role in Adult Social Care with excellent opportunities to develop your career.

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

Join Our Transformation

Following a recent restructure, we’re introducing a new way of working and this is your opportunity to be part of it from the start. You’ll play a key role in shaping practice, building a strong team culture, and delivering a strengths-based, resident-focused service.

Our model brings together Connect to Community (C2C) and Area Teams to create a seamless resident journey:

• C2C(East and West) provides the first point of contact, including urgent assessments, safeguarding, and support planning.
• Area Teams(East and West) deliver ongoing support for residents with longer-term or complex needs, focusing on proactive, person-centred care.

This approach reduces bureaucracy and enables more time with residents - focusing on listening, building relationships, and creating meaningful solutions.

Senior Social Care Assistant roles are incredibly rewarding, and we are confident that, with strong support from the team, your career will go from strength to strength. You will end each day with the satisfaction that you are making a difference, ensuring no one is left behind. This role will enable you to have a significant positive impact on the lives of our residents as well as being the first step in an extremely rewarding career with many avenues of development and progression available.

About the Team

We are a large team that support individuals across community and hospital settings. We celebrate diversity and believe that differences make us stronger.

We strive to be an open and collaborative team, with a shared aim to empower communities and people to be the best they can be. We work with a strength-based focus in how services are shaped and how needs are met. We are continually learning from each other and partners and strive to be the best at what we do for everyone we work with. We support curiosity in all we do to find development and learning opportunities for individuals and our team to grow as a service.

Our Area Teams support people with longer-term or more complex needs to live fulfilling, independent lives. Building on the work of Connect to Community (C2C) teams, the Area Teams deliver consistent, high-quality care across local communities, taking on key responsibilities such as Care Act assessments, reviews, safeguarding, and legal processes. With a proactive approach to managing open cases, Area Teams provide continuity, stability, and truly person-centred outcomes, while valuing each team member’s skills, experience, and local knowledge to ensure work is allocated to the most appropriate practitioner.

We are a caring, committed team supporting residents with physical disabilities, illness, or sensory impairments to live as independently as possible. Working closely with carers, families, and partner organisations, we ensure people -and those who support them- feel valued and included. Our diverse, professional team fosters a strong culture of learning and development for both individuals and the wider team.

About the Role

As a Senior Social Care Assistant at Surrey, you will often be the first point of contact between the public and the service, gathering initial information and determining the need for further assessment as well as signposting people to other services.

You will work in partnership with individuals, their carers, professional staff in other agencies, service providers and Support Brokers to support vulnerable adults and their families. Your role will be pivotal in identifying and arranging services that cater to their needs, fostering independence, choice and control. This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact by helping people to fully realise their potential for independence.

Shortlisting Criteria

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

• The ability to empathise with, and show compassion towards, individuals in need of social care assistance.
• Experience of working with residents with a variety of physical and cognitive social care needs, including strength-based assessments, home visits, and support plans.
• Working knowledge of the Care Act legislation and how itimpactsthe work we do.
• The ability to independently take the initiative and adapt to shifting priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly, concisely, and respectfully, both verbally and in writing.

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. Looking at our advert, and considering the Council’s commitment to ensuring that “no one is left behind”, please tell us what it is about the role that has motivated you to apply?
2. Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have that you can bring to this role?
3. What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Senior Social Care Assistant and how do these qualities support Surrey County Council’s culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and adaptability?
4. Describe a situation where you supported a colleague in managing a complex case or difficult workload. How did you guide them, and what impact did this have on the individual receiving support?

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.

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 Cristina Villaci-Adams, Team Manager by email or on MS Teams.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 19/04/2025 with interviews to follow.

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.