About the role

The salary range for these roles is £36,282 - £40,146 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.

Do you relish a challenge? Are you passionate about supporting people with mental health needs to live independent and fulfilling lives? Are you keen to be part of a transformative programme to develop a new Supported Independent Living offer for people with mental health needs?

If so, then we want to hear from you!

At Surrey County Council our vision is to help create better lives, a better place and a county where no one is left behind. To deliver our vision we are committed to changing and radically improving the Council's culture, approach and performance; putting residents' current and future needs first.

Adult Social Care's Commissioning Service is leading a large-scale transformation programme to deliver new and improved models of accommodation with care and support to Surrey's residents. Our ambition is to support Surrey's individuals with mental health needs to live healthy, active and fulfilling lives. This is an exciting opportunity to join the newly founded 'Move on Team' as a Mental Health Social Worker, where you will support the programme by assessing the social care needs of service users and providing direct social work intervention to some of the most challenging and complex service users and their carer's. You will also work to inform Commissioning intentions by identifying and reporting on individual's accommodation with care and support needs. The Move on Team is integral to delivering the programme which will have a real impact on our residents.

The Move On team is a new team within the Mental Health service created to enable us in delivering our services and to focus on assessing and supporting people to become more independent.

These roles will be based at Quadrant Court, 35 Guildford Road, Woking, GU22 7QQ.

The Mental Health Service delivers services to all Surrey residents who meet social care criteria in line with the Care Act, in relation to their mental health needs. We are leading the way in implementing new ways of working in personalisation and a recovery-focused strength-based approach. Our goal is for service-users to be able to make informed choices about the services they use, be more in control of their care, and to be active citizens within their community. Teams within the service deliver high-quality care for service-users with mental health needs. Team members are friendly, cohesive and proud of their record in providing an effective service in the community.

About the role 

At Surrey County Council our vision is to help create better lives, a better place and a county where no one is left behind. To deliver our vision we are committed to changing and radically improving the Council's culture, approach, and performance, putting residents' current and future needs first.

As a Mental Health Social Worker, you will be expected to assess the social care needs of service users and provide direct social work intervention to some of the most challenging and complex service users and their carers. We are looking for enthusiastic social workers who can provide effective support for people with mental health needs using a strength-based approach to enable individuals to live as independently as possible with more choice and control. You will need to be flexible to work in a challenging environment. You will be supported and will benefit from a structured induction programme.

To be shortlisted for an interview your application will clearly evidence:

• Professional qualification in Social Work and current registration with Social Work England
• Successful completion of an Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme if qualified as a social worker after June 2012
• Experience in mental health service, including assessment and risk management skills
• A full driving licence and have use of a vehicle insured for work/business purposes
• A working knowledge of Care Act legislation including experience in preparation of support plans, monitoring and reviewing outcomes
• Commitment to your own professional development, including maintaining up-to-date knowledge of mental health issues

We can offer you:

• Mentoring and support from experienced colleagues
• Innovative technology: laptop and mobile phones are provided. Front line staff will get touch screen hybrid devices to allow you to work in an agile way and minimise unnecessary travel
• Work/life balance: flexible working is supported where possible, including working from home or hot desking at a number of County Council sites
• 26 days annual leave (28 after 2 years' service) plus 8 bank holidays
• Relocation assistance of up to £8,000, subject to meeting eligibility criteria
• A generous local government salary-related pension
• 24/7 employee assistance programme (EAP)
• Option to join our car lease scheme and many more discounted life-style benefits, please visit MyBenefits for Surrey County Council staff for more information

At Surrey, our values and behaviours are just as important as our skills and abilities. They shape who we are as an organisation. Find out more about the values we follow.

For more information please find the full job description below and refer to this before submitting your application. We also invite you to read our Life at Surrey handbook to see insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Job details

Additional information

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be considered on a first come, first served basis. Interviews will be virtually via Microsoft Teams.

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.

As part of our greener future strategies and our commitment to creating a healthy work-life balance, we welcome a conversation with you regarding our remote working options. Remote working to us is a balance of spending time in our communities, our offices and working from home or wherever works best.

Contact details

For an informal discussion please contact Christine Caines at christine.caines@surreycc.gov.uk or call on 07968832858. 

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

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.

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