Social Work Assistant

Overview

Are you passionate about making a difference in people’s lives? Do you enjoy supporting vulnerable adults to live as independently as possible? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

We have an exciting opportunity for Social Work Assistants to join our Adults & Health service. This role is ideal for someone who is motivated, compassionate, and committed to enabling individuals to achieve their personal goals while promoting choice and self-determination.

If you have experience in health and social care, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, and take pride in delivering person-centred support, this could be the role for you.

We have 2 permanent, full-time Social Work Assistant opportunities available:

• 1 x South Locality Team
• 1 x South Learning Disability Team

Please state your preference within your expression of interest.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

About the role

As a Social Work Assistant, you will play a vital role in supporting adults who are referred to or already receiving care and support services.

You will:

• Assess and review individual needs and desired outcomes
• Undertake and produce high quality, strength-based assessments, reviews, and person-centred care and support plans, ensuring delivery of services and reviewing outcomes with individuals.
• Provide information and advice to help individuals access appropriate services and support
• Respond to enquiries in a supportive and informative way, helping people to better understand their options
• Promote independence and wellbeing through personalised approaches
• Work collaboratively with social workers, health professionals, voluntary organisations, and partner agencies
• Maintain accurate case records and contribute to effective case management
• Raise safeguarding concerns appropriately and work in line with legislation, policies, and procedures

You will receive a comprehensive induction, including shadowing opportunities, statutory training, and the chance to build strong working relationships across the Council.

Mobile:

A ‘mobile’ role gives you the flexibility to schedule your own diary, so you can meet with colleagues and clients in a variety of locations. You’ll access digital folders and resources on your laptop and be able to use the network wherever you are based. Working from home will be common, as well as meeting your team in the office where necessary.

About you

We are looking for someone who is:

• Confident communicating with people face-to-face and by telephone
• Experienced in carrying out assessments and supporting care planning
• Able to manage competing priorities in a busy environment
• Emotionally resilient, with the ability to maintain focus in challenging situations
• Committed to person-centred, strengths-based practice

You will be organised, motivated, and able to work both independently and as part of a team, using your initiative while working within delegated responsibilities.

For further details, please refer to the full job summary attached.

Other information

A full driving licence with access to a vehicle is an essential requirement for this role.

For more information about these exciting roles, please contact:

• Megan Bardini - [email protected] (South Locality Team)
• Kinga Donovan - [email protected] (South Learning Disability Team)

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/