Some key information
- Location: The postholder can be based in either Yeovil or Shepton Mallett
- Ideal opportunity for an experienced practitioner looking for their next step
- 30 days annual leave entitlement
What will I be doing?
Working as part of a small, supportive Learning Disability and Autism service in the East of Somerset, supporting a team of up to four Social Workers and two Adult Social Care Practitioners. You will have a close working relationship with the Service Manager, who will provide regular supervision and guidance in your role and expectations and plans for the Service and Department.
Providing supervision to the Social Workers and informal support, advice and guidance to the team. We operate a duty system in both sides of the County that everyone in the team participates in and Advanced Practitioners share the responsibility of managing the duty system and rota. This offers different ways of working with the people we support for example using motivational interviewing skills and crisis intervention work and positive risk management.
You will be given the opportunity to work closely with colleagues and specialist professionals to contribute to decision making as part of our weekly Peer Forum discussions. These are designed to enable a “critical friend” approach to request for increases to personal budgets and packages of care.
We work closely with other specialist teams in the Authority such as Preparing for Adulthood, Commissioning, Occupational Therapy, the DOLS team, Mental Health, Safeguarding, and CHC as well as having close links and partnership working with our LD Health colleagues in Somerset Foundation Trust.
We advocate working in a strength based and personalised way, operating under the three conversations model to enable people to live more independent and fulfilling lives with positive outcomes.
Our goal of working with people to develop gloriously ordinary lives remains the same throughout our practice which means:
- Utilising your extensive skills and experience to guide your team to support and empower the residents of Somerset to remain independent for longer in their communities.
- Tailoring solutions around the needs of citizens and providing continuity of support and intervention.
- Promoting independence in everything your team does
- Working alongside Health and Social Care colleagues.
- Liaising with key partners to facilitate improved provision of services, team training and recruitment.
This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced practitioner who wants to further develop their practice and professional leadership in teams
What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?
We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But to be successful in this role you will:
- Be an accomplished social work professional with considerable experience since qualification.
- Have access to/use of a vehicle is an essential requirement for this role.
What's in it for me?
,At Somerset Council, we work hard to attract the best staff and we want to make sure that once you are on board, you are well supported and rewarded for the work you do.
We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:
- This grade offers 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) and the option to request to buy up to 2 weeks additional annual leave pro rata.
- Hybrid working options where the role allows.
- A clear career pathway with apprenticeships, professional, leadership and academic programmes and qualifications, regular CPD opportunities and a corporate coaching and mentoring scheme
- A new comprehensive induction programme supported by Practice Development Advanced Practitioners, plus a confidential and impartial welcome call to ensure your induction goes smoothly.
- Ongoing support & development opportunities – regular CPD events arranged and delivered by our dedicated Adult Social Care Learning and Development team, including an annual Carnival of Practice event with key speakers such as the Chief Social Worker, a team of Advanced Practitioner – Practice Development roles to support our workforce, personalised personal development plans, a corporate coaching and mentoring scheme.
- Local Government pension scheme
- Employee support networks that acknowledge and celebrate the richness of diversity and equality within our workforce.
- Guaranteed Interview Schemes – Disability Confident, Veterans, Care Leavers
- Employee assistance and support offering a variety of wellbeing services and events to support a healthy work/life balance inc. a free online gym offer, dedicated Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors and much more!
- Relocation of up to £8,000, subject to meeting eligibility requirements.
- Access to the Blue Light Card which offers thousands of discounts online and on the high street.
- My Staff Shop which offers a variety of discounts including cinemas, shopping, restaurants, gym discounts and more!
- Discounted lease car options via salary sacrifice, along with discounts on fuel
- Cycle to work scheme
Anything else I should know?
This is a Grade 9 post with a current salary of
£40,476 to £44,711 per annum. Appointments are normally made at the bottom of the salary scale.
Got a question about becoming an Advanced Practitioner Social Worker with Somerset Council? Give
Helen Readdy, Recruitment & Engagement Officer a call on: 01823 355166 / 07977410483 or email:
[email protected]We are a socially active council and run many webinars and events, team away days, volunteering opportunities plus, hold regular staff Q&A sessions. We encourage professional development and training to support your learning and aspirations. And there are also a variety of networking groups and activities that you can join.
We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve so we will always welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our teams. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.
When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.
Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early if we have received a sufficient number of applications, so don't delay, apply today!
A Bit More About Somerset Council
We are reclaiming narratives about social work and believe in the power of lived experiences of people (including workers) and sharing stories. To get a sense of this, listen to the Social Work Sessions podcast.
Somerset is situated in a beautiful, rural county in a central southwest location but with good city links. With scenic countryside, historic sites, charming towns and villages, family-friendly attractions, beaches, festivals (Glastonbury!) and events, outdoor activities, zoos, water parks and plenty of local produce to try, there’s something for everyone!
We have a supportive and friendly culture… Don’t believe us? Checkout our Glassdoor rating.
DBS information
This post requires a criminal background check via the Disclosure procedure.
