Social Work Guidance & Policy Compliance Specialist

Job Introduction

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this role is £59,868 per annum, working 36 hours per week. This is a full-time position but we also welcome part-time applications.

This is a secondment opportunity until March 2027. Please ensure you have approval from your line manager before submitting your application.

Are you an experienced, registered Social Worker with a high level of legal literacy? 

Are you looking for a new challenge to develop your skills and get some hands-on experience working at a more strategic level?

We are looking for a Guidance Reviewing Officer (PS12) on a secondment basis to end March 2027. Working alongside the Head of Quality and Assurance, Principal Social Worker, Principal Occupational Therapist and Head of Safeguarding, you will play a pivotal role in reviewing and updating our social care guidance notes, ensuring accuracy, relevance and clarity. The scope of your role will cover adult social care operations and CQC registered services ie reablement, in-house services and prisons. You will play an important role in ensuring AWHP is prepared for the transfer to unitary status.

You will report to the Head of Quality and Assurance and will be expected to have the ability to travel across SCC offices, using a hybrid model of working. 

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days’ holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role 

This role draws on our vision to have the right guidance in place for all operational staff to do their jobs well. A typical day would include a short briefing meeting with the Head of Quality and Assurance, followed by meetings with co-production groups that you would set up. You would spend some of your time researching topics and reaching out to other local authorities to compare their approach and their guidance papers and processes. You will also spend time writing up new guidance papers and reviewing them. You will have support from various teams to help you with your day-to-day work, including our Comms and Engagement team, the Academy and Data Insights team.

Key Responsibilities for this role include: 

• Under the guidance of the Head of Quality and Assurance analyse and review existing guidance papers and processes using co-design and design thinking principles.
• Work with staff to create guidance where we identify gaps.
• Attend the monthly Practice Improvement Group and receive instructions/ guidance from the group, as well as reporting progress to the group.
• Review national guidance papers and directives from a variety of sources, including the ADASS group, SCIE, DHSC, LGA and ensure best practice is being incorporated in our internal guidance notes.
• Provide leadership in guiding the review process and ensuring timely completion. 
• Utilise strong IT skills to effectively manage and organise guidance note materials.
• Communicate guidance to staff to ensure they know what is available, where to locate it and how to use it.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for this position, as well as submitting your CV, please submit a statement of interest (no longer than 2 A4 pages) that clearly evidences that you have the skills for this role which should include:

• A registered social worker with at least four years’ experience working in a statutory social care team, ideally with experience working with older people, people with learning difficulties, mental health needs and neurodiverse needs. 
• A proven track record of working effectively as part of a team, demonstrating a high level of communication skills with a variety of stakeholders.
• A high level of legal literacy relating to social work and social care, with the ability to interpret and apply legal principles to guidance notes.
• Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to articulate complex concepts and information in clear, concise and easily understandable language.
• Experience in leading or contributing to projects with clear, tangible outcomes
• Previous experience in writing technical or professional reports in plain English, ensuring accessibility to a wide audience with varying levels of expertise.
• Experience using Project Management tools, including writing project briefs 

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload your CV and answer the following application questions:

1. What has attracted you to apply for this role and how do you think your values, skills and experience will suit the needs of the position?
2. Tell us about a time you developed or contributed to a guidance document or report in a social care setting. What was your role, how did you ensure clarity and legal accuracy, and what was the outcome?
3. Describe a piece of work where you worked with multiple stakeholders.  How did you ensure effective collaboration, and what did you achieve?
4. Give an example of how you used design thinking or a similar problem-solving approach to improve a procedure. What steps did you take, and what did you learn?

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 Kathryn Pyper, Head of Quality and Assurance by e-mail or on MS Teams.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on Sunday 15th June with interviews planned for the 24th June with Kathryn Pyper, Head of Quality and Assurance and Anja Barker, Head of Academy and Principal Social Worker. 

We look forward to receiving your statement of interest and CV. 

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas. 

Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils. 

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!  

Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

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 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.