Social Worker - Adult Social Care

About the Borough

The London Borough of Sutton is situated less than 30 minutes by train from Central London, with direct connections to London Victoria and London Bridge. Found in zone 5 with good transport links in and out of London, Sutton boasts award winning parks and open spaces, low crime rates, affordable housing and great schools. As well as high levels of resident engagement and satisfaction, providing quality services and success in addressing our financial challenges, whilst involving residents in key issues and high street changes.

Sutton is continuously investing in the health, wellbeing and education of our residents and the future generation, as set out in the “Ambitious for Sutton” corporate plan. We are home to the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together with the development of the London Cancer Hub, Sutton will be the world’s leading life-science district, specialising in cancer research and treatment. Our vision will create around 13,000 jobs while contributing £1.2bn to the UK economy each year, a vibrant community of scientists, doctors and innovative companies intended to deliver real benefits for cancer patients and drive economic growth. With the regeneration of the local areas with new homes and schools, Sutton is passionate about working closely with our residents and vulnerable groups to help them maintain their independence and create a balance between support and independent living.

The Council is seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment. As we strive to improve our services and spaces for our residents as set out in the ‘Ambitious for Sutton’ corporate plan, Sutton aims to shape the future of the borough and adapt to the needs of its residents to make our Borough a great place to live, work and raise a family.

About the Service and Team

Sutton Adult Social Care Locality Teams are at the heart of supporting adults with care and support needs to live independently, safely and with dignity within their communities. The teams work with adults aged 18 and over, undertaking Care Act assessments, reviews, safeguarding enquiries, mental capacity assessments, support planning, and partnership work with health, housing, voluntary sector and community services.

Our Locality Teams adopt a strengths-based and person-centred approach, focusing on promoting independence, wellbeing, choice and control. Social workers have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of individuals, including older adults, people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health needs, and those experiencing self-neglect or safeguarding concerns.

The service is committed to delivering high-quality practice and maintaining a positive learning culture. Staff benefit from regular supervision, reflective practice opportunities, continuous professional development, and access to a supportive management team. We actively encourage professional curiosity, innovation, and collaborative working to achieve the best outcomes for residents.

Sutton Adult Social Care has a strong reputation for partnership working and integrated practice with health colleagues, enabling practitioners to make a meaningful difference to people's lives. We are committed to embedding the values of respect, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement across the service.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a welcoming, supportive and forward-thinking team where social workers are valued, empowered and encouraged to develop their skills and careers while making a real impact in the local community.

About the Role and Our Ideal Candidate

Purpose of the Job

To support adults with care and support needs to achieve positive outcomes, promote independence, and safeguard their wellbeing.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Social Worker within Sutton's Adult Social Care Locality Team, no two days are the same. You will work directly with residents, families, carers and partner agencies to help people remain safe, independent and connected to their communities. Typical responsibilities include:

• Undertaking Care Act assessments, reviews and support planning, using a strengths-based approach to identify what matters most to people and how best to support them.

• Managing a varied caseload, including safeguarding enquiries, mental capacity assessments, self-neglect cases and complex situations requiring professional judgement and risk management.

• Working closely with health professionals, housing providers, community organisations and other partners to coordinate support and achieve positive outcomes for residents.

• Supporting timely hospital discharges and preventing unnecessary admissions by ensuring people have appropriate care and support arrangements in place.

• Building effective relationships with residents, carers and families, advocating where necessary and helping people make informed choices about their care and support.

About You

We are looking for a qualified and motivated Social Worker who is passionate about supporting adults to live fulfilling and independent lives. You will enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and be confident balancing statutory responsibilities with person-centred practice.

Essential Requirements

• A recognised Social Work qualification and registration with the Social Work England.

• Experience of working with adults in a statutory social care setting, including undertaking assessments, reviews and safeguarding work.

• Sound knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and safeguarding responsibilities.

• Strong assessment, communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with residents, carers and partner agencies.

• The ability to manage competing demands, make proportionate decisions and work effectively with risk and complexity.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience of working within a Locality Team or integrated health and social care setting.

• Knowledge and experience of working with self-neglect, hospital discharge pathways, Continuing Healthcare, or complex safeguarding enquiries.

• Practice Educator qualification or an interest in supporting student social workers and newly qualified staff.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who shares our commitment to strengths-based practice, values collaborative working, and is motivated to make a positive difference to the lives of Sutton residents. In return, you will join a supportive and ambitious service that invests in professional development, reflective supervision and career progression.

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.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 26-32 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade
• Enhanced Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
• Two volunteering days per year
• Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme (dependent on the role)
• Adjustable and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle leasing scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support

Application Process

Apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application and check your CV details have been uploaded correctly in the relevant sections.

We understand and recognise the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace and are embracing AI where appropriate, to boost our productivity and streamline how we deliver our Council services efficiently; to provide the best possible outcomes for our residents and communities.
However, we reserve the right to reject applications where it is apparent that AI-generated content has been used in isolation and without personalised responses. At Sutton we value authenticity and are looking for individuals who can clearly demonstrate their own skills, experience and motivation for the role that they are applying for and embrace and demonstrate our PRIDE values.
Here at Sutton we have core values of Transparency and this is to be demonstrated during the application process and completion of the supporting statement and will be further tested at interview and selection stage for those who progress forward.

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, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

As part of our award winning Diversity Programme we anonymise all applications received to reduce conscious and unconscious bias enabling every application to be reviewed on the knowledge, skills and experience shown in your application. We encourage our interview panels to be as diverse as possible (age, cultural, neurodiverse etc.) to reduce bias where possible. We are fully committed to removing barriers and enhancing the diversity of our workforce.

Additional Information

We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming Borough and we strive to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve, and instil a sense of belonging in our staff. We celebrate and respect differences and appreciate the value of having a diverse workforce, therefore we welcome applications from under represented groups.

To support our workers and their families 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.

We are also proud to be a disability confident employer and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a role. As an accredited London Living Wage Employer all our employees are guaranteed the London Living Wage regardless of their length or type of contract.

The UK has a points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance. Sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.