Social Work - Adult Service
| Posting date: | 08 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £30,001.00 to £40,000.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Full-time equivalent salary Band 9 (£34,314- £37,035 per annum) / Band 10 (£37,938 - £40,476 per annum) / Band 11 (£41,511 - £44,711 per annum) |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 15 July 2025 |
| Location: | Darlington, DL1 5QT |
| Company: | Darlington Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 283214 |
Summary
INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLYandnbsp;
The RIACT Team are co-located with our Health Colleagues, promoting joint working to achieve the best possible outcomes for individuals and their families. The team includes Social Workers, Community Assessment Officers, Reablement co-ordinators and Occupational Therapists. Predominantly the role of the team is to support in hospital discharges and community crisis.
The team is fast paced, needing to make decisions in a timely manner with support from an experienced Team Manager, Senior Practitioner, and supportive team members. The team undertakes the following assessments: functional assessments, Care Act assessments, safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act assessment and Continuing Health Care. We promote strength based and person-centred practice to support individuals to achieve their goals.
We are looking to recruit a full-time permanent experienced or newly qualified Social Worker who is committed to strength-based practice, focusing on enabling people as much as possible to build on their own networks and strengths as a means of meeting their needs. You will be skilled at gathering relevant information from initial contacts and making appropriate and sound decisions as to what action needs to be taken and refer appropriately. You will have demonstrable assessment and care management skills and the drive and passion to make a difference in a dynamic and fast paced multi-disciplinary team.
Darlington Adult Social Care has undergone a significant transformation within the last few years, with an emphasis on maximising independence, delivering personalised outcomes, promoting a cost effective and stable market. Our priorities are focussed on supporting to reduce isolation, delaying where possible the onset of care and support needs, providing an intermediate care offer, supporting carers, as well as ensuring people are safe from harm. Whilst we have strong relationships with our system wide partners and providers we continue to strive to grow and develop these partnerships to ensure an integrated, seamless approach when supporting people.andnbsp;
We have a culture of working together across all directorates with the ambition to grow and develop partnerships.
Joss Harbron, our Assistant Director for Adult Social Care says andldquo;Darlington has an established and successful track record in adult social care, where high challenge comes with high support. There is strong engagement with citizens and strong partnerships and collaboration across the directorates. I believe we deliver strong visible leadership, with clear governance, accountability and in a culture which welcomes active contributions from the teams whilst delivering high performing services. andldquo;
In May 2025 Adult Social Care in Darlington was CQC rated Good achieving an overall score of 73%
This is what CQC said about us andndash;
andldquo;There are open and transparent relationships with senior leaders and staff felt they had the ability to challenge and influence policies and practice. Leaders had an impact on staff retention, and we heard reports of a positive workplace culture.andnbsp;
There were good preventative measures in place with a Responsive Integrated Assessment Care team (RIACT), which provided a thorough assessment with very positive results. There were no delays to hospital discharge and the data around reablement and outcomes following discharge were better than the national average.
We found staff were creative and supported people to remain independent in a person-centred and strength-based way.
There was a clear focus in the local authority on providing short-term support to prevent longer-term care. Leaders and partners agreed there was a strong relationship around hospital discharge and the local authorityandrsquo;s work in reablement and short-term interventions was well regarded and effective. They had a consistently low number of discharge delays with high performance in reablement delivery and outcomes. There was a clear process map for reablement for staff handling referrals.
Staff said the local authority was a good place to work, highlighting positive relationships and career progression, including apprenticeships and the step-up to social work program. Staff who had worked elsewhere said they appreciated the good workplace support and feeling looked after, heard, and listened to. Supervision was always available, and there was a focus on wellbeingandrdquo;.
If you are an enthusiastic and dynamic professional, who brings passion and commitment to achieving the best for the most vulnerable people and have experience in working within health and social care we would like to hear from you.
We have a strong commitment to professional development throughout all our Adult Service areas, with a training programme that is workforce-led and has strong links to supervision, appraisal and audit.
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.
This role offers a flexible, blended approach to home and office working.
The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:
andbull;32 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
andbull;andnbsp;andnbsp;Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
andbull; Flexi-time scheme
andbull; Flexible working
andbull; Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
andbull; Staff equality forums
andbull; Green Car Leasing Schemeandnbsp;
andbull; Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
andbull; Physiotherapy service
andbull; Confidential counselling service
andbull; Great wellbeing offer
andbull; Cycle to Work Scheme
andbull; Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
andbull; Local and National retailer discounts
andbull;andnbsp;Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
andbull;Arriva Employee Travel Club?
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers-1/why-work-for-us/
Find out further information about us and what itandrsquo;s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.
For a further informal discussion,andnbsp;please contact Stef Simpson on 07951769128 or email stef.simpson@darlington.gov.uk or alternatively you can contact Sarah Appleby, Team Manager for RIACT via email on sarah.appleby@darlington.gov.uk
Interviews will be held on 8th August 2025 at the Town Hall, Darlington.
The successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced DBS and Childrenand#39;s Barred List checkandnbsp;
General Information for Applicants:
All applicant email correspondence will come from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.
If you are experiencing problems applying for this vacancy via North East Jobs, please contact the HR Team on 01325 403217 or HR@darlington.gov.uk , who will be happy to assist.
andnbsp;
The RIACT Team are co-located with our Health Colleagues, promoting joint working to achieve the best possible outcomes for individuals and their families. The team includes Social Workers, Community Assessment Officers, Reablement co-ordinators and Occupational Therapists. Predominantly the role of the team is to support in hospital discharges and community crisis.
The team is fast paced, needing to make decisions in a timely manner with support from an experienced Team Manager, Senior Practitioner, and supportive team members. The team undertakes the following assessments: functional assessments, Care Act assessments, safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act assessment and Continuing Health Care. We promote strength based and person-centred practice to support individuals to achieve their goals.
We are looking to recruit a full-time permanent experienced or newly qualified Social Worker who is committed to strength-based practice, focusing on enabling people as much as possible to build on their own networks and strengths as a means of meeting their needs. You will be skilled at gathering relevant information from initial contacts and making appropriate and sound decisions as to what action needs to be taken and refer appropriately. You will have demonstrable assessment and care management skills and the drive and passion to make a difference in a dynamic and fast paced multi-disciplinary team.
Darlington Adult Social Care has undergone a significant transformation within the last few years, with an emphasis on maximising independence, delivering personalised outcomes, promoting a cost effective and stable market. Our priorities are focussed on supporting to reduce isolation, delaying where possible the onset of care and support needs, providing an intermediate care offer, supporting carers, as well as ensuring people are safe from harm. Whilst we have strong relationships with our system wide partners and providers we continue to strive to grow and develop these partnerships to ensure an integrated, seamless approach when supporting people.andnbsp;
We have a culture of working together across all directorates with the ambition to grow and develop partnerships.
Joss Harbron, our Assistant Director for Adult Social Care says andldquo;Darlington has an established and successful track record in adult social care, where high challenge comes with high support. There is strong engagement with citizens and strong partnerships and collaboration across the directorates. I believe we deliver strong visible leadership, with clear governance, accountability and in a culture which welcomes active contributions from the teams whilst delivering high performing services. andldquo;
In May 2025 Adult Social Care in Darlington was CQC rated Good achieving an overall score of 73%
This is what CQC said about us andndash;
andldquo;There are open and transparent relationships with senior leaders and staff felt they had the ability to challenge and influence policies and practice. Leaders had an impact on staff retention, and we heard reports of a positive workplace culture.andnbsp;
There were good preventative measures in place with a Responsive Integrated Assessment Care team (RIACT), which provided a thorough assessment with very positive results. There were no delays to hospital discharge and the data around reablement and outcomes following discharge were better than the national average.
We found staff were creative and supported people to remain independent in a person-centred and strength-based way.
There was a clear focus in the local authority on providing short-term support to prevent longer-term care. Leaders and partners agreed there was a strong relationship around hospital discharge and the local authorityandrsquo;s work in reablement and short-term interventions was well regarded and effective. They had a consistently low number of discharge delays with high performance in reablement delivery and outcomes. There was a clear process map for reablement for staff handling referrals.
Staff said the local authority was a good place to work, highlighting positive relationships and career progression, including apprenticeships and the step-up to social work program. Staff who had worked elsewhere said they appreciated the good workplace support and feeling looked after, heard, and listened to. Supervision was always available, and there was a focus on wellbeingandrdquo;.
If you are an enthusiastic and dynamic professional, who brings passion and commitment to achieving the best for the most vulnerable people and have experience in working within health and social care we would like to hear from you.
We have a strong commitment to professional development throughout all our Adult Service areas, with a training programme that is workforce-led and has strong links to supervision, appraisal and audit.
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.
This role offers a flexible, blended approach to home and office working.
The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:
andbull;32 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
andbull;andnbsp;andnbsp;Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
andbull; Flexi-time scheme
andbull; Flexible working
andbull; Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
andbull; Staff equality forums
andbull; Green Car Leasing Schemeandnbsp;
andbull; Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
andbull; Physiotherapy service
andbull; Confidential counselling service
andbull; Great wellbeing offer
andbull; Cycle to Work Scheme
andbull; Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
andbull; Local and National retailer discounts
andbull;andnbsp;Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
andbull;Arriva Employee Travel Club?
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers-1/why-work-for-us/
Find out further information about us and what itandrsquo;s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.
For a further informal discussion,andnbsp;please contact Stef Simpson on 07951769128 or email stef.simpson@darlington.gov.uk or alternatively you can contact Sarah Appleby, Team Manager for RIACT via email on sarah.appleby@darlington.gov.uk
Interviews will be held on 8th August 2025 at the Town Hall, Darlington.
The successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced DBS and Childrenand#39;s Barred List checkandnbsp;
General Information for Applicants:
All applicant email correspondence will come from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.
If you are experiencing problems applying for this vacancy via North East Jobs, please contact the HR Team on 01325 403217 or HR@darlington.gov.uk , who will be happy to assist.
andnbsp;