Adults Senior Practitioner Specialist Lead

Surrey County Council; Leatherhead; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Surrey County Council is seeking a Senior Practitioner Specialist Lead to support adults and children in health care assessments in a hybrid role. With a focus on collaboration, you will manage complex cases and empower individuals to maximize independence. Benefits include a competitive starting salary, extensive annual leave, and development opportunities within a supportive team environment.

Benefits

26 days holiday (rising to 31 days after 5 years)

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Local government pension

Lifestyle discounts

Paid volunteering days

Learning and development resources

Qualifications

• Practising Qualified Social Worker with SWE registration.
• Significant post-qualifying experience in Health and Social Care environments.
• Knowledge of Adult Social Care legislation and the personalisation agenda.

Responsibilities

• Handle core duties, complex cases, and NHS Continuing Health Care disputes.
• Support and advise staff on Continuing Health Care.
• Provide coaching and training to social workers to improve standards.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Flexibility

Initiative

Education

Social work degree

SWE registration

Job description

Adults Senior Practitioner Specialist Lead

Details

• Reference: SCC/TP/287930/3195
• Positions: 2
• Category: Qualified Social Work - Adult's
• Contract type: Permanent
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 29 May 2025
• Closing date: 22 June 2025

Description

This role has a starting salary of £52,942 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week (pro-rata for part-time staff).

We are hiring to the following Senior Practitioner Specialist Lead vacancies:

• 1 x full-time position (36 hours per week)
• 1 x part-time position (18 hours per week)

This role is suitable for a Social Worker, qualified nurse or other Healthcare professional and is currently based at Fairmount House in Leatherhead (although we will shortly be moving in the Summer of 2025 to Dakota in Weybridge). The role ishybrid, with a mixture of working in the office and from home. Further details can be discussed at interview.

We are a small and close-knit team and are currently looking for individuals who are interested in developing their practice in this specialised domain. This role will cover both adults and children's continuing health care assessments.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), 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
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

We are a team with a mix of professional registrations and experience, passionate about achieving positive outcomes for the residents of Surrey and supporting front line teams in delivering excellence within the legal framework that we all operate within.

About the Role

This role offers the chance to collaborate with Health colleagues on person-centred joint assessments, empowering individuals to maximise their independence.

You will handle core duties, complex cases, and NHS Continuing Health Care disputes. Your main role is to support and advise staff and managers on Continuing Health Care and s117, providing coaching and training to maintain high standards and improve efficiency.

You will offer professional advice on NHS Continuing Health Care/s117 and related legal frameworks, assisting with dispute rationales and briefings. The role involves working in community and hospital settings across Surrey, with regular support and supervision, and providing supervision to social workers.

We seek confident, motivated, and enthusiastic individuals who prioritise person-centred care, supporting individuals to make their own choices about their lives and support.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• You are a practising Qualified Social Worker with SWE registration and have a social work degree (or are a Senior Social Care Practitioner with a recognised nursing or other Allied Health Professions Qualification) having completed any post qualification practice or training requirements.
• You have significant post-qualifying experience, including some degree of management experience in a variety of Health and Social Care environments, demonstrating good understanding of both the Health and Social Care agendas.
• A high level of understanding and commitment towards the personalisation agenda along with an applied knowledge of Adult Social Care legislation, including the Care Act, the Mental Capacity Act, and NHS Continuing Health Care for adults and children.
• That you are an enthusiastic, self-motivated and flexible person who has excellent interpersonal skills and proficient IT skills.
• You have the ability to use your initiative and excellent organisational skills to coordinate various work streams relating to the development of our professional staff.
• A strong knowledge base for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and an understanding, and commitment to supporting carers and demonstrable commitment to delivering support and management in accordance with the Councils Equality and Diversity Policy is required.

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.

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 Julie Leversedge, Senior Specialist Advisor CCT/s117, by e-mail at [e-mail] and/or telephone on 07855514381.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 22nd June 2025 with interviews planned for 11th July 2025.

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

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.

Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.

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!

Our Values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about ourvalues .

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description.Our Life at Surrey handbook provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.