Social Care Officer

Kent County Council; Folkestone; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Social care academy access

Social Work Apprenticeship progression

Job summary

Kent County Council in Folkestone & Hythe invites applications for a permanent full-time Community Social Care Officer. The role blends office-based work with home working within a hybrid model, based at Cheriton House, Folkestone.

You will assess needs, engage with service users and carers, and support crisis interventions under supervision. Ideal candidates have social care assessment experience, multi-agency collaboration, and knowledge of applicable legislation.

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a multi-agency environment.
• Knowledge of relevant Social Care legislation.
• Financial skills and knowledge.
• Good computer literacy and report writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and mediation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work in partnership with people and wider partners to identify services or resources in the community.

Responsibilities

• Undertake initial enquiries and assess needs.
• Build relationships with people, their carers and wider partners.
• Support crisis intervention, Care Act assessments and Mental Capacity Act assessments.
• Work under supervision of an experienced Registered Practitioner.

Skills

Multi-agency collaboration

Social Care legislation knowledge

Financial skills

Computer literacy & report writing

Interpersonal, mediation & negotiation

Partnership working & community links

Job description

Adult Social Care — Community Social Care Officer

A permanent full-time opportunity are available in Folkestone and Hythe. We operate in a hybrid model of office-based working and working from home to meet the needs of the service.

About Us

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Community Team in as we enhance our locality working practice and put the person and good practice at the heart of what we do.

We work with adults with a range of care and support needs placing individuals at the centre of their support. You will undertake initial enquiries, build relationships with people, their carers and wider partners, and support the management of crisis intervention undertaking Care Act assessments and Mental Capacity Act assessments. You will be supervised by an experienced Registered Practitioner.

Our social care interventions are structured around the three pillars of excellent practice, exceptional innovation and meaningful measures. Therefore, our work is orientated around building relationships with the individual, their families and carers. We engage with communities early on to help people feel empowered to find trusted help and support locally from a range of sources.

This vacancy is for the Folkestone & Hythe Community Team and your contractual base will be Cheriton House, Folkestone.

About You

You will have experience of working with people with social care needs and of undertaking social care assessments.

You must also possess:-

• Experience of working within a multi-agency environment.
• Knowledge of relevant Social Care legislation.
• Financial skills and knowledge.
• Good computer literacy and report writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and mediation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work in partnership with people and our wider partners to help identify services or resources in the community that can support well-being.

We are looking for future employees who have a positive, forward-thinking attitude who can work collaboratively as part of a team.

This role is subject to holding a Full UK Driving Licence – The Council is committed to making reasonable adjustments so whilst this job requires the jobholder to drive your application will still be considered if you are unable to drive due to a disability.

Our Support Offer

In return, we offer an attractive benefits package and a commitment to ensuring that you achieve a healthy work life balance and opportunities for flexible working arrangements that meet business need.

You will have excellent opportunities for professional development with access to our social care academy, progression routes that include opportunities to undertake the Social Work Apprenticeship, and our Practice Framework.

Interviews to be held on 27 November 2026.

We are increasingly accessible to the public outside of traditional office hours, as we
move towards an 8 am to 8 pm, 7 days a week service to ensure service needs
are met.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements.

About The Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds and faiths, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Location Cheriton House, Folkestone, United Kingdom