Advanced Practitioner – Social Worker – Neighbourhoods (Adults)

About the job

Key information

Transform lives, champion rights & support adults to achieve their full potential.

• Location: Bridgwater
• Starting salary £41,771 rising annually, currently up to £46,142
• Full time, 37 hours per week
• Ideal opportunity for an experienced practitioner looking for their next step
• 30 days annual leave entitlement

About the Team/Service

Advanced Practitioners work closely with their teams, health and community colleagues to build an in-depth understanding of community resources that support independence.

You will play a key role in ensuring residents are supported to remain within their local communities, promoting continuity, stability and strengths-based solutions tailored to individual needs.

You will work alongside:

• Social Workers, Adult Social Care Practitioners and Occupational Therapists
• Health partners within neighbourhood PCNs
• Wider community and voluntary sector organisations

This is a busy but highly supportive environment where collaboration, learning and leadership are actively encouraged.

What will I be doing?

As an Advanced Practitioner Social Worker, you will provide professional leadership within a neighbourhood-based service, supporting adults to live as independently as possible within their own communities.
You will work closely with your team, health colleagues and community partners to promote independence through strengths‑based practice, developing an in-depth understanding of local resources that enable people to remain connected to their families, networks and communities.
This role combines advanced practice, leadership and system working, enabling you to support complex cases, guide practitioners and shape integrated, community-led care across neighbourhoods.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership and advanced practice within your neighbourhood team
• Support and oversee complex cases, offering guidance, joint working and professional decision‑making
• Promote independence and prevention, enabling people to remain in their own homes and communities for longer
• Lead and support safeguarding practice, including complex risk management and mental capacity decision‑making
• Provide high-quality reflective supervision to Social Workers and Adult Social Care Practitioners
• Work closely with health partners and neighbourhood PCNs, supporting integrated care delivery
• Develop strong links with community and voluntary sector organisations to enhance local provision
• Contribute to service development, shaping and improving neighbourhood-based services
• Support workflow, risk management and decision-making within the team alongside your Service Manager

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

• Qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England
• Extensive post-qualifying experience within Adult Social Care
• Strong knowledge of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and safeguarding legislation
• Experience supporting practitioners and leading complex case discussions
• Strong skills in risk management, analysis and professional decision-making
• Excellent communication and partnership-working skills across multidisciplinary teams

Supporting documents and information

• You will be required to work from an office base a minimum of 2 days per week, with the remainder of your time worked flexibly using a hybrid model
• You will utilise your experience to guide and empower your team to support residents to remain independent within their communities
• The role involves supervising registered Social Workers and Adult Social Care Practitioners
• Opportunities for progression, leadership development and advanced practice are actively supported through supervision and training

Please Note: We may consider offering Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to suitably qualified overseas social workers who are already residing in the UK. To be eligible, applicants must hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England. Sponsorship will be assessed as part of the recruitment process. This is only available to candidates currently living in the UK, as unfortunately we are unable to provide resettlement support.

Due to the nature of the role and the geographical area of the service across Somerset, which is a largely rural county, with limitations around public transport the ability to be able to travel to any location is essential. Therefore, applicants must have full access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.

We recognise and welcome applications from disabled individuals who may require reasonable adjustments to meet this requirement, and we’re happy to discuss this from the first point of contact with the recruitment team.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Helen Readdy, Recruitment and Engagement Officer Adults helen.readdy@somerset.gov.uk

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!

Job Description

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Apply on the Somerset Council website