Social Worker

Job Description

Social Worker | 11224 | Permanent Contract | 37 hours per week | £41,177 to £43,149 per annum | (Grade J) | Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, Norwich

We offer a £2000 welcome payment for qualified and experienced Social Workers (grade J and above) new to Norfolk County Council. Amount to be repaid in full should you leave within two years of employment.

For experienced Social Workers new to Norfolk County Council, we promise to try and match or better your existing salary, providing it's in the spectrum of the grade advertised.

Living Well. Changing Lives.

There are lots of reasons to join Norfolk County Council Adult Social Services. Working in Norfolk with adults aged 18+ gives you the chance to work in urban, rural and coastal communities, in a place where you can really see the difference our Adult Social Workers make to the lives of others.

Who Cares? We do. 
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified Level 2 Social Worker to join our dedicated Admission Avoidance team, supporting adults who present to the Emergency Department at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

This is a rewarding and fast-paced role where you will work as part of the Rapid Assessment Frailty Team (RAFT), helping to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions through proactive, person-centred interventions. Working within an integrated multidisciplinary team, you will collaborate closely with a range of health and social care professionals, alongside effective community and out-of-hospital services, to support people to remain safely at home wherever possible.

About the Role
You will work alongside colleagues from health and social care to deliver high-quality, person-centred support. Our service operates under a Home First ethos, promoting independence, recovery, and wellbeing through effective partnership working.

As part of a small, dynamic team, you will:
• Work in a fast-paced environment, responding to urgent situations and supporting timely decision-making.
• Undertake person-centred social care assessments within the Emergency Department and acute hospital setting, including safeguarding and Mental Capacity assessments.
• Complete joint assessments alongside therapists, nurses, and other multidisciplinary team members.
• Identify opportunities to prevent avoidable hospital admissions through strengths-based and solution-focused interventions.
• Liaise with community-based services to triage referrals and coordinate rapid support arrangements.
• Facilitate safe and timely returns home through effective care planning and collaboration with partners across health, social care, and the voluntary sector.
• Promote independence by ensuring individuals receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

About You
We are looking for a Social Worker who is passionate about making a difference and committed to delivering excellent care. You will have:
• A sound understanding of the Care Act 2014 and its application.
• Experience in completing Mental Capacity Assessments and acting in a person’s best interests.
• Knowledge and experience of Continuing Healthcare (CHC) reviews.
• Strong communication and organisational skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

In Norfolk Adult Social Care, we’re committed to working alongside people, families, and communities in ways that are relationship‑based, strengths‑focused, and rooted in Human Learning Systems principles. As a practitioner, you’ll use curiosity, reflection and professional judgement to support community‑led and personalised solutions, focusing on what matters most to people and supporting sustainable, meaningful change. Working collaboratively with colleagues and partners, you’ll contribute to a learning culture that values good social work, shared insight and adaptability, ensuring support is responsive, ethical and grounded in strong relationships.

You will use a person-centred, strengths-based approach to support individuals to achieve the outcomes that matter most to them. You’ll contribute to ongoing learning and improvement by reflecting on practice, sharing insights with colleagues, and adapting your approach based on what works.

At the core of everything we do is excellent social work.

Our superb support culture means Social Workers can really thrive, with help, advice and support on hand when needed from managers and great opportunities for career development, wherever you are on your social work journey. We're realistic about the challenges, but we're passionate about how we can support you to meet them, so you can enjoy the rewards social work has to offer.

You'll also work in the beautiful county of Norfolk with over 90 miles of stunning coastline, the unique Norfolk Broads, great shopping and culture, and amazing wildlife to name a few of the benefits of living here. We offer an excellent relocation package to support your move to Norfolk and a real focus on health and well-being to provide a work life balance that works for you.

If you're a qualified and dedicated social worker and want to feel part of an organisation which makes a positive difference to those living in Norfolk, we would love to hear from you.

What we offer

At Norfolk County Council we are committed to our employees’ learning and development. We offer all Social Workers and Occupational Therapists a protected half day per month for continuing professional development and training.

We want our people to be inspired and motivated to work well together, make the most of our workspaces, enjoy a healthy work-life balance, and deliver excellent services to Norfolk and its people. Flexibility is built into the way we work, with hybrid working a key feature for many roles. Our technology platform and equipment are first class, enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely.

Adult Social Services in Norfolk is on an ambitious, exciting transformation journey. We're redesigning how we work to create a system that is flexible, human, and focused on better outcomes. As part of this journey, you'll contribute to an environment where learning is continuous, insight is shared, and innovation is encouraged. We support flexible and hybrid working, with a minimum expectation of two days per week spent in a community or office setting, helping you stay connected with colleagues, communities and the people we support.

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.

Your application

Before you apply, we recommend reading the full Job Description and Person Specification to help you demonstrate you meet the criteria.

Please ensure you include a statement in your application to demonstrate why you feel you meet the person specification and job description for this post. CVs submitted without a supporting statement about this post may not be accepted. 

You need to be registered with Social Work England as a practising Social Worker.

Applications will be reviewed as and when received, you do not need to wait until the closing date.

These are some benefits you can enjoy by working for Norfolk County Council:

• Competitive salary

• Generous holiday entitlement

• Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling service

• Flexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working – dependant on your job role and business need.

• Financial benefits such as:

• ‘Norfolk Rewards’ our employee discounts programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out. 

• A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care Workers

• Relocation expenses (where applicable)

• An advance of your expenses if you travel for work

• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants’ pensions.

• Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension and new bikes

• Access to our tax efficient car lease scheme for greener travel enabling you to lease a brand new, ultra-low emission vehicle (subject to eligibility)

• A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job

You can also find out about the rewards and benefits we offer as well as our other terms and conditions.

Already a Norfolk County Council employee? See and apply for internal and external vacancies in myOracle using your @norfolk.gov.uk or @nccal.ac.uk email.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.  

Redeployment closing date: Wednesday 23 September 2026 at 23:59

All other applicants closing date: Wednesday 30 September 2026 at 23:59

About us

We have miles of beautiful coastline and our unique Broads, thriving market towns and a city with a proud cultural heritage. Our economy is growing and driven by innovation in a number of sectors, including energy and food. We also have ambitious plans for new housing and a building programme for schools across Norfolk. Our county a great place to live, work and visit, and is an excellent environment for businesses to start, grow and innovate.
We are the main local authority for Norfolk providing services countywide to more than 850,000 Norfolk residents. We take the lead in critical policy areas, working with 84 elected Members responsible for the strategic local government services in the county.

We provide a high quality service through involving people who use our services to shape and comment on them and by promoting efficiency and innovation.

We work in partnership with local businesses, voluntary organisations and other local authorities such as District and Parish Councils to provide the people of Norfolk with excellent services.