Adults Senior Social Care Assistant - Mole Valley

Surrey County Council; Dorking; On-site; GBP 34,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Dorking is seeking a Senior Social Care Assistant to join the Mole Valley Locality Team. The role involves working directly with vulnerable adults, assessing their social care needs, and supporting their independence. The position offers a supportive team environment, career development opportunities, and a competitive salary of £16,776 per annum for 18 hours per week. Ideal candidates will be confident and skilled in IT, with strong communication abilities, and commitment to professional growth.

Benefits

26 days' holiday (prorated)

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development opportunities

Hybrid working options

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience gathered from working with vulnerable adults.
• Ability to use a variety of software systems.
• Demonstrated effective communication in diverse settings.

Responsibilities

• Assess social care needs and provide positive interventions.
• Work with individuals and their families to promote independence.
• Gather initial information from service users in various settings.

Skills

Confidence working with people with various impairments

Competence in IT skills

Verbal communication skills

Written communication skills

Commitment to professional development

Education

Relevant qualifications in social care

Job description

Adults Senior Social Care Assistant - Mole Valley

Details

• Reference: SCC/TP/287938/4254
• Positions: 1
• Category: Care - Adults
• Contract type: Permanent
• Working hours: 18 hours per week
• Posted on: 4 December 2025
• Location: Pippbrook, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1SJ

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. This role has a starting salary of £16,776 per annum (pro rata to £33,552 FTE), working 18 hours per week.

We are hiring a Senior Social Care Assistant to come and work with us in the Mole Valley Locality Team, based in Dorking. Working for us, you will find yourself part of an extremely friendly, supportive team where you will benefit from peer support and a strong focus on your career development. You will become an integral part of a team that supports people to achieve good outcomes by focusing on personalisation and a recovery-focused strengths-based approach.

Our goal is for our service-users to be able to be more in control of their care, making informed choices and being active citizens in their community.

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 and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Structured Induction Programme, regular supervision, regular targeted training and opportunities for professional development
• Opportunities for hybrid working

About the Team

Our team is an extremely supportive, friendly bunch, as well as dynamic, offering the very best service to our residents. All staff receive regular supervision and there are always experienced staff available to provide advice and guidance. We set great store by being responsive and strengths-based in supporting residents to reach a good outcome. Our culture is one of nurturing and support, alongside achieving high standards in the work that we do.

About the Role

As a Senior Social Care Assistant in Mole Valley, you will often be the first point of contact between the public and the service, both on the phone as well as visiting them in their own home or care setting, 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 and service providers to support vulnerable adults and their families. You will assess the social care needs of our service users, providing direct positive intervention to some of our more complex service users and support for their carers.

Promoting independence, choice and control is at the heart of this position. This is an exciting opportunity to work with people to maximise their potential for independence. With the mentoring and support from your experienced colleagues, we will enable you to reach your full potential.

Shortlisting Criteria

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

• Your confidence and competence in working with people with a variety of physical and cognitive impairments.
• Your competence in a range of IT skills and a willingness to learn to use a variety of software systems.
• Your verbal and written communication skills
• Your commitment to your own professional development

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.

Application Questions

• 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?
• Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have that you can bring to this role?
• 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?
• What does a 'strengths-based approach mean to you and how would you apply it in your daily work?

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 Louise Byrne by email or on MS Teams.

Job Closing Information

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 18/12/2025 with interviews planned for the week commencing 05/01/2026.

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

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Frontline Services

We are embarking on an exciting and innovative transformation in how we deliver frontline services to our residents. As part of this change, we are moving away from our current locality model and introducing new ways of working designed to improve outcomes and enhance the resident experience.

Our new service model includes two key areas:

• Connect to Community– a dynamic front-door service providing immediate support and guidance.
• Area Teams– a dedicated service focused on longer-term assessment and reviews.

Further details about these services can be found in the attached document titled 'C2C and Area Team Information'

The new model is scheduled to go live on 1 st March 2026. At this stage, the advertised role will either sit within the newly created Connect to Community or Area Teams. This will be confirmed in due course.

Note

There may be some flexibility regarding the service and location as the implementation progresses. The hiring manager will keep you informed throughout the recruitment process.

If you have any questions now or during the process, please contact the hiring manager directly.

Thank you for your understanding and interest in joining us during this exciting period of change

Local Government Organisation (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!

Disability Inclusive Statement

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.