Advanced Social Worker for International Social Workers

Job Introduction

We have an opportunity for up to 3 full time Advanced Social Workers to join our Children’s Academy on a 1 year fixed term or secondment basis to support a cohort of international social workers being recruited from South Africa. It’s an exciting time to be joining Surrey as we look to build on positive progress form our recent ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement.

 The salary range for this position is £46,399 - £49,588 per annum.

 Rewards and Benefits

• A competitive relocation package of up to £8,000 for those new to Surrey
• We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service (plus bank holidays)
• Access to our car lease scheme
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Parental, adoption and dependents leave

About the Role 

This new exciting role has been created within the Children’s Services Academy for a 1-year period, to support a cohort of International Social Workers (ISWs) being recruited from South Africa.

You will be involved in creating and delivering a bespoke induction and support package for the new social workers similar to that delivered to Newly Qualified Social Workers, and you will deliver direct supervision, support and assessment of the International Social Workers we recruit.  You will work with an assigned cohort of ISWs and be responsible for delivering individual and group learning opportunities.

You will work closely with the other Advanced Social Workers in the Academy who provide ASYE Assessor support, to share learning and development ideas. In addition, you will work directly with line managers and other colleagues in our frontline social work teams in order to support and assess the International Social Workers. 

You will be encouraged to demonstrate your social work values and skills, assessment and report writing skills, ability to work in a culturally aware way, and use your previous experience in supporting, mentoring or supervising social care staff to ensure ISWs are provided with great support and learning opportunities to succeed, and remain working for Surrey Children’s Services. 

Our recent ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement highlighted that:

“Workers are well supported to manage their workload and can see that caseloads are gradually reducing. They feel highly valued, are proud to work for children’s services and are extremely positive about their working conditions. When allocating workers to children, their managers carefully consider the suitability of the allocation, taking account of the skills, strengths and interests of workers.” and that “There is a strong training and development offer in Surrey that helps to equip staff with the understanding, knowledge and skills that they need to practice in a kind, sensitive, motivational and respectful way.”

We are committed to ensuring that our ISW cohort feel well-supported in the same way our other staff do and enjoy a positive experience when they join Surrey. You could play a key role in making this a reality for them.

To be shortlisted to interview, your CV will clearly evidence:

• A Social Work qualification such as a Degree, Masters or Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work. 
• Experience of working in statutory social work roles with children, young people and their families
• Registered with Social Work England.
• Experience in supporting staff and developing social workers. 

Surrey is a large and diverse organisation, ambitious about safeguarding children and young people and ensuring they and their families receive the right support at the right time. We have both urban and rural areas and locality based social care workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

Contact Us 

 Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Alex McKnight by email at alex.mcknight@surreycc.gov.uk.

 The job advert closes at 23:59 on Wednesday 11^th of June, with interviews planned W/C 23^rd of June 2025.  

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Our Values 

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where: 

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application 
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form 

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.