Social Worker - Preparation For Adulthood

This is an opportunity to join a recently established Birth to Settled Adulthood Service, working with young people and their families to support them as they approach adulthood.  This role will mainly cover East, Purbeck and North Dorset, although you may occasionally cover West Dorset if needed. Your base can be agreed depending on where you live and what works for you with an opportunity for Hybrid working.

You will be part of a small team working in a strength’s based multi-disciplinary way across health, social care, SEND and education, contributing to multi-disciplinary decision-making and providing constructive professional challenge where needed.

Statutory competence matters here.  You will be expected to apply:

• Care Act 2014
• Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Mental Health Act 2007

with confidence.  In Dorset, professional judgement is respected and supported, within a clear and robust safeguarding framework.

The role has a focus on preparation for adulthood from the age of 14 to 25 years. You will be completing preparation for adulthood plans with young people and their families/carers as well as undertaking Care Act assessments and planning for adulthood for young people, including activities such as completing MCA assessments/ Best interest meetings where appropriate.

You will be part of a peer group of professionals who are committed to proactively supporting Dorset young people and their families to achieve a smooth transition in a prepared and informed way without any gaps.

About you

We are looking for someone who is an excellent communicator with a strong sense of professional curiosity, good analytical skills and good decision-making skills.

You will be adaptable and genuinely person-centred, not just as a statement but in how you practice every day.  You will also be:

• Reliable and accountable
• Open in how you share your knowledge with the people you support
• Committed to continuing to develop your practice

Although experience in adult work would be beneficial, if you have a recognised social work qualification and have transferable skills along with a desire to learn, this post could be for you! 

You must:

• have a recognised social work qualification
• be registered with Social Work England
• be able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post 

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.