Social Worker

Cambridgeshire County Council; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing package

Annual leave benefit

Pension and mileage allowances

Development opportunities and coaching

Paid volunteering hours

IDEAL staff network

Employee Recognition Awards

Our Cambs Rewards scheme

Job summary

Cambridgeshire County Council is seeking an experienced Social Worker to join the Transfer of Care Service based in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. You will work with the Emergency Department and multidisciplinary teams to promote independence, prevent unnecessary admissions and support timely discharges by assessing needs and coordinating community support.

You will provide expert adult social care advice, undertake Act assessments, safeguarding enquiries and care planning, and collaborate

Qualifications

• Qualified social worker with current registration.
• Experience working with adults and safeguarding.
• Knowledge of Care Act 2014 and Mental Capacity Act.

Responsibilities

• Work directly in the Emergency Department to support adults with social care needs.
• Provide early intervention and prevention to access the right services.
• Complete Adult Early Help Community Action Plans identifying strengths and resources.
• Triage referrals from ambulance services and health colleagues.
• Facilitate the restart of care and support packages with providers.
• Collaborate with individuals, families and professionals for personalised solutions.
• Provide specialist Adult Social Care advice on legislation and options.
• Build strong relationships with health colleagues within MDT.
• Support safe and timely discharge planning and home return.
• Undertake Care Act and safeguarding work as required.

Skills

Social Work

Discharge planning

Assessment skills

Collaborative

Communication

Education

Social Work degree

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Social Worker to join our Transfer of Care Service, working within the Emergency Department at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. This is a unique and rewarding role at the heart of one of the region's busiest hospitals, where you will work alongside health and therapy colleagues to ensure people receive the right support at the right time. Your focus will be on promoting independence, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions, and facilitating safe and timely discharges from the Emergency Department. Working autonomously within a fast-paced environment, you will utilise your social work expertise to identify strengths, assess support needs, and develop person-centred solutions that maximise independence and wellbeing. You will play a key role in helping individuals access community resources, preventative services, and adult social care support where appropriate. You will work within the Hospital Early Intervention Team (EIT), a multidisciplinary team including Frailty Specialist Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Discharge Planning Specialist Nurses and medical staff. Together, the team supports admission avoidance and discharge planning across the Emergency Department. As the Social Worker within the team, you will provide specialist Adult Social Care expertise, helping to facilitate safe and timely discharges, prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and connect individuals with community-based support. Working collaboratively with health colleagues, community services and the voluntary sector, you will ensure people receive the right support at the right time, promoting independence and wellbeing through a strengths-based approach. You will provide advice, information, assessment and support to adults, their families and carers, ensuring coordinated, person-centred care and positive outcomes.

• Work directly within the Emergency Department to support adults who present with social care needs.
• Provide early intervention and prevention support, helping people access the right services at the right time and reducing the need for ongoing statutory intervention where appropriate.
• Complete Adult Early Help Community Action Plans, identifying strengths, community resources and practical solutions that promote independence and wellbeing.
• Triage and respond to referrals from ambulance services, health colleagues and partner agencies, ensuring timely follow-up and coordinated support.
• Facilitate the restart of care and support packages where required, working closely with providers, health professionals and community services to prevent unnecessary admissions and support discharge home.
• Work collaboratively with individuals, families, carers and professionals to develop personalised solutions that build on existing strengths and support networks.
• Provide specialist advice and guidance on Adult Social Care, legislation and community-based support options.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with health colleagues as part of a multidisciplinary team, promoting understanding of preventative and strengths-based approaches.
• Support safe and timely discharge planning, enabling people to return home safely wherever possible.
• Undertake Care Act assessments, carers assessments, safeguarding enquiries and Mental Capacity Act work where required, ensuring risks are appropriately identified and managed., Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action. We are looking for a confident and experienced Social Worker who thrives in a busy multidisciplinary environment and is passionate about prevention and independence, Be a qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England.
• Have experience of working with adults, including assessment, support planning and safeguarding.
• Have a strong working knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and other relevant legislation.
• Be confident in applying professional judgement and constructively challenging decisions where necessary.
• Have experience of working collaboratively with health partners and other agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective professional relationships.
• Be able to work independently, prioritise competing demands and make sound decisions within a fast-paced environment.
• Show resilience, adaptability and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Have strong literacy, administrative and recording skills, with the ability to analyse information and produce clear assessments and plans.
• Be committed to delivering person-centred, strengths-based and outcome-focused practice.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference at the earliest stage of a person's journey through health and social care services. Working at the front door of the hospital, you will be instrumental in helping people access the right support, maintain their independence and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro‑rated) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes