Social Worker /Senior Social Worker - Crawley Community Team

About Us

West Sussex County Council is a diverse and inclusive organisation serving more than 850,000 residents. If you're wondering why you should join us, it's because we offer a truly supportive culture-one that's second to none. Our employees are genuinely valued and respected, and we place a strong emphasis on work-life balance. Hybrid working helps us deliver a great service and our employees enjoy the flexibility this gives to carry out their role whilst fitting around their home lives.

Our Adults' Community Teams offer an exciting and rewarding area of practice, giving social workers the opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives. We work with adults aged 18 and over who have cognitive and/or physical disabilities, with a particular focus on older people.

We're proud to embed a strengths-based approach in our practice-supporting individuals to explore their networks, maximise independence, and access local community resources. We also maintain strong partnerships with health colleagues through proactive care initiatives, including regular multidisciplinary meetings at local GP surgeries.

Our community teams play a central role in fulfilling the statutory duties of Adults' Services. A solid understanding of the Care Act 2014 is key, and our practitioners are skilled in safeguarding enquiries, person-centred assessments, and multi-agency working.

"I love being a part of a supportive and friendly team and the close connections I have with my colleagues."
- Senior Social Work Practitioner

About The Job

Salary: Grade 10 £38,626 to £41,511 per annum to Grade 11 £42,708 to £45,718 per annum dependant on experience
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Crawley
Interview Date: 14th/15th August

We have an exciting opportunity for a Social Workers/Senior Social Workers to join our Crawley Community Team. This is a permanent, full-time role offering variety, supervision support, and the chance to work within a genuinely collaborative team.

Our Social Workers/Senior Social Workers have a really supportive working environment and inductions are well planned with help from across the friendly and considerate team. There are approximately 20 members in the Crawley Community Social Work Team, with a mixture of qualified and unqualified team members, so whether it's in person, on the phone or even in the chat group there is always someone on hand to offer help and support.

The Crawley community team work across Crawley and the surrounding areas. As well as assessing you will be completing plans, implementing and monitoring and reviewing care packages. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives while building your skills in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment.

In this varied and rewarding role, you will work with adults aged 18 and over, including individuals with physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries, chronic health conditions, older adults, and people living with dementia.

Key Responsibilities:

• Carrying out strengths-based assessments and reviews
• Undertaking safeguarding enquiries and Mental Capacity Act assessments
• Collaborating with individuals, families, and carers to identify eligible needs and develop personalised support plans
• Applying relevant legislation and social work practice to promote wellbeing and independence
• Making effective use of local community assets and resources
• Managing a varied caseload and contributing to the development of safeguarding practice within the team

You'll be part of a supportive and committed team that values professional growth, reflective practice, and shared learning. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives while building your skills in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment.

Experience and Skills

The following key skills, qualifications and experience information are the short listing criteria so please provide evidence of how you meet each point in your application.

Key Skills:

1. Ability to work proactively as a member of the team to make an accurate strengths-based assessment of needs and negotiate and implement effective plans and outcomes (in line with relevant legislation), working in partnership with carers, colleagues and a variety of external agencies to meet people's outcomes.
2. Ability to apply a risk enablement approach and using evidence-based practice.
3. Ability to analyse and interpret people related information and data to prioritise needs and formulate plans for intervention and service provision.
4. Ability to provide informal supervision and develop the capabilities of less experienced social care practitioners, and to mentor and coach students and apprentices.
5. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders to provide clear advice and guidance and interventions.
6. Ability to recognise the limits of own accountability and responsibility, know when to seek appropriate support, advice and supervision, and to prioritise and organise work and meet agreed performance expectations.
7. Sound and accurate IT skills to ensure effective record keeping, compliant with data protection and respecting confidentiality.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• Degree in Social Work or a recognised equivalent Social Work qualification
• Registered with Social Work England.
• Experience of undertaking assessments and social work intervention planning, implementation and review by means of creative and pragmatic solutions.
• Experience of working in partnership with those who access the service and maintaining a focus on the needs and strengths of the people, and the outcomes they want to achieve, whilst handling conflict and disagreement.
• Experience of contributing to or undertaking safeguarding enquiries.
• Experience of managing risk within a risk enablement approach
• Good, up-to-date working knowledge of relevant legislation e.g., Care Act (2014), Mental Capacity Act (2005) etc.
• Valid, full driving licence. Desirable

Further Information

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.