Find More Than 10K+
United Kingdom Jobs

Social Work Assistant

Job introduction

In Adult Social Care we passionately believe that putting relationship-based practice at the centre of everything we do enables us to provide consistent and quality support to citizens so that they can lead independent and fulfilled lives. Brighton & Hove has a unique demographic which makes it a challenging yet rewarding place to work.

Working closely with our partner agencies, our services continue to be at the forefront of making a positive difference in challenging times. But we can’t realise our ambition to become a centre of excellence and best practice without dedicated, creative and motivated workers. Does this sound like you?

The Social Work Assistant (SWA) post plays a key role in making a positive difference to people’s lives. You’ll be completing assessments under the Care Act as well as assisting social workers with more complex situations. You’ll receive regular supervision and training to help you fulfil your role.

If you would like to know more about these roles, for an informal conversation please contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight 12th March 2023

Start date: Successful candidate(s) will be able to start on or after 1st April 2023 subject to pre employment checks being completed

About the role

Working alongside social workers and other staff, this role provides real opportunities to gain experience of a professional multidisciplinary context, to ensure timely assessment and practical support to promote people’s safety and independence. We are looking for people who:

• Have experience of working with vulnerable people who might use social care services
• Have experience of applying law and policy relevant to the care of adults
• Are able to identity and assess risk of harm to people, including in the context of safeguarding adults legislation
• Have an understanding of the importance of information, advice and re-ablement in supporting people to maintain their independence and wellbeing.

Please read our Apply for a job at the council (brighton-hove.gov.uk) pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.

As part of your application, you will need to complete your education and work history and provide answers to some shortlisting questions. Your answers to the shortlisting questions are the most important part of your application as they will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (Shortlisting questions guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.

All 6 available posts involve working directly with people who may be in need of care and support, and their carers. There are:

Four posts in our Localities teams: Aligned to different areas of the city, these teams seek to maximise the independence of people who live with a wide range of circumstances. The work can involve shorter term reviews or, where the SWA is more closely supervised, work with complex situations where safeguarding, mental capacity and homelessness are relevant.

One post in our Changing Futures team: This team is a pioneering multi-disciplinary assessment and support service working holistically with people who are experiencing multiple disadvantages. The areas of disadvantage include mental health, substance misuse, homelessness, domestic violence and contact with the criminal justice system.

One post in our Assessment and Safeguarding Duty Service: This team is at the ‘front-door’ of our services, where we seek to support people with shorter-term, quicker, interventions, often where they are experiencing crisis and/or there are safeguarding concerns.

Additional information

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

Work Permits: We may be able to obtain a Work Permit for this post but this is subject to meeting the requirements of the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Points-based Immigration System. Please see Gov.uk for more information on the Skilled Worker Visa.

Part office / part home – hybrid - We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining.

• For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us (brighton-hove.gov.uk)

Company information

Please note that this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).