Advisory Officer (Contact)

Surrey County Council; Weybridge; Hybrid; GBP 34,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Weybridge seeks an Advisory Officer for the Adult Social Care Information and Advice Service. The role involves responding to inquiries from the public and professionals, delivering high-quality information regarding local care services. Candidates should demonstrate a solid understanding of social care issues and exceptional customer service skills. This permanent, full-time position offers a starting salary of £33,552 annually and allows for hybrid working arrangements after an initial training period.

Benefits

26 days' holiday, increasing with service

Option to buy additional annual leave

Generous local government pension

Carer's leave and paid volunteering days

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development resources

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Good understanding of social care and health issues.
• Experience of providing high levels of customer care.
• Ability to deal with sensitive situations empathetically.
• Excellent IT skills with databases.
• Flexibility to work effectively as part of a team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Respond to enquiries from the public and professionals.
• Provide comprehensive information on local care services.
• Assess urgency and risk of incoming calls.
• Support emergency responses with relevant agencies.

Skills

Understanding of social care and health issues

High levels of customer care

Empathic communication

Excellent IT skills

Teamwork

High level written communication

High level verbal communication

Job description

Description

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.

The starting salary for this role is £33,552 per annum, working 36 hours per week (prorated for part time staff).

Join our dedicated team at Surrey County Council's Adult Social Care Information and Advice Service as an Advisory Officer! We're looking for someone enthusiastic and committed to making a difference to the lives of our residents. In this role, you'll be part of a supportive and collaborative team that values growth and continuous improvement, playing a key role in delivering the high-quality service we're proud to offer.

This permanent, full-time position is based at Dakota, Weybridge. Following your induction, there will be flexibility to work from home for part of the week.

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.

About the Team

The Adult Social Care Information and Advice Service serves as the first point of contact—our 'front door'—for anyone seeking support from Surrey's Adult Services. In this dynamic and fast-paced role, you'll handle a diverse and engaging range of enquiries.

While the environment can be demanding, it's also highly rewarding. You'll be trusted to make informed, independent decisions and encouraged to bring your energy, ideas, and initiative to help continuously enhance the quality of our service.

About the Role

In this role, you'll respond to enquiries from both the public and professionals seeking support for adults, offering clear and comprehensive information about local care and support services. Your guidance will help individuals understand how adult social care works in their area, explore available care and funding options, and navigate the process of accessing the right support.

What a typical day might look like:

• You'll be the first point of contact for incoming enquiries, managing each interaction within agreed service level targets. You'll assess the urgency and risk of each call, using your judgement to prioritise and respond effectively.
• Working closely with colleagues across Surrey, you'll help coordinate timely responses to requests for support, advice, information, and safeguarding concerns.
• You'll engage with residents and their families to gather important background information. This insight is crucial in supporting our partner agencies and ensuring the right help is provided.
• You'll play a key role in supporting emergency responses by working with police and ambulance teams. Your coordination will help ensure the right resources are deployed quickly and efficiently during critical situations.

To help you settle in and feel fully supported, all new team members will work from the office 4 days a week during the initial induction and training period (up to 12 weeks). Once you're confident and ready to work independently, you'll move to a hybrid pattern—typically 2 days in the office and 3 days from home. You are required to be flexible, as there will be times when you'll need to come into the office more often depending on team or service needs.

Your Application

To be considered for an interview, your application will need to outline and evidence your previous skills and experience and align with our behaviours:

• A good understanding of social care and health issues, with a basic awareness of public sector and voluntary agencies,
• Experience of providing high levels of customer care and professionalism to members of the public,
• Dealing empathically with sensitive calls/situations,
• Excellent IT skills and use of databases to a high standard of accuracy,
• Ability to work effectively and flexibly and as part of a team,
• High level written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• Describe your experience of providing high-quality customer service in a fast-paced environment.
• What systems or databases have you used in your previous roles? How do you ensure accuracy and attention to detail when working with digital records?
• Tell us about a time you worked collaboratively to respond to a challenging situation or emergency.
• What is your understanding of adult social care and the role of public and voluntary sector agencies in supporting individuals?

You will need to evidence relevant experience combined with a natural capacity for empathy in dealing with sensitive and potentially distressing calls and have keen eye for detail and accuracy when inputting information onto databases.

If you can tick all the above and are enthusiastic about helping our residents with their requests and enquiries, then please do not hesitate in applying.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

A basic DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 8th January 2026 with interviews planned for 21st January 2026. The interview will include a 10-minute presentation in a format of your choice on a topic shared in advance.

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

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.

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.