Social Worker (Adults/Triage)

The Service & Team:
As a Social Worker within safeguarding, you will work as part of a team alongside Social Care Practitioners, Senior Practitioners and the Team Manager. You will contribute to timely and proportionate safeguarding responses, including screening and triage of concerns, gathering and analysing information, and contributing to risk assessments and protection planning. You will ensure that all work is person-centred, strengths-based and outcome-focused, keeping the adult’s views, wishes and desired outcomes at the forefront of decision-making.

You will be confident working in a fast-paced environment where demand can fluctuate, using your professional curiosity and sound judgement to help identify and respond to risk. You will also play an important role in information sharing, partnership working and supporting continuous improvement in safeguarding practice across the service.

We are looking for a Social Worker who is passionate about safeguarding and committed to high-quality practice. You will be resilient, organised and reflective, able to manage competing priorities while maintaining a focus on delivering positive outcomes. You will be confident communicating with a wide range of people, including adults at risk, their families and professionals, and able to contribute effectively within a team environment.

Our safeguarding service operates across a number of pathways, including countywide safeguarding teams, a triage function and the Person in Position of Trust (PIPOT) process. Working alongside our health partners and wider system colleagues, we are strengthening our multi-agency approach to safeguarding and continuously developing how we respond to risk and harm.

Cornwall’s unique geography and communities present both challenges and opportunities. You will work with people from a wide range of backgrounds, including those living in rural and coastal communities, and those experiencing complex social and economic disadvantage. This is a dynamic and rewarding area of practice where your work will make a real difference to people’s safety and quality of life.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to develop your safeguarding practice within a supportive and forward-thinking service, we would love to hear from you.

The Role:
Under the leadership and management of the Team Manager you will work within a team of Social Workers and other Social Care Practitioners to provide a Safeguarding Triage service to adults with health and social care needs achieving high quality, timely and person-centred Safeguarding concerns and working to improve outcomes and increase/maintain the independence of vulnerable adults.

The team provide the first response and triage of Adults Safeguarding concerns raised by members of the community, the adult themselves or professionals. The work environment is very fast paced and busy, with positive team members who are provided with regular support, supervision and training, as well as career progression and the opportunity to be involved in the development of the team and wider service.

Key Responsibilities

• Screen and triage incoming safeguarding concerns.

• Gather relevant information and apply the Making Safeguarding Personal approach.

• Make threshold decisions regarding whether concerns should proceed through the safeguarding process.

• Identify and recommend appropriate next steps for adults at risk of abuse or harm.

• Collaborate with external agencies to assess risks and support adults to live free from abuse or harm.

• Share expertise and support team development within a multi-disciplinary context.

• Supervise and approve Social Care Practitioners work.

• Be part of the duty system.

• Be an active contributor within the team to bring about positive change and improvements.

Social Workers are required to work collaboratively with colleagues from different teams, disciplines and partner organisations in order to provide a seamless service to individuals/families/carers. They will help to protect vulnerable adults from harm or abuse and support people to optimise their choices in order to live as independently as possible. They will work with communities, individuals and families to promote their personal strengths.

This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies.

This position will be subject to an enhanced criminal record disclosure check.
Working Pattern:
Flexible working arrangements will be considered alongside the needs of the service.

What you’ll need to succeed:
We welcome applications from newly qualified Social Workers (NQSW) who need to complete their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).

You will be a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England, and able to demonstrate:

- Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, including the Care Act, and application in practice
- Experience of strengths-based, person-centred social work
- Ability to undertake and analyse complex assessments of risk, need and capacity
- Skilled decision-making in situations involving risk, resistance or conflict
- Ability to lead safeguarding enquiries and deliver clear, defensible outcomes
- Confidence working in multi-agency environments and building effective professional relationships
- Strong written and verbal communication skills

We support Social Workers transitioning from other sectors through a structured induction.

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

What you’ll get in return:
Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

In recognition of your contribution, we offer:

- Competitive salary with progression opportunities
- Generous relocation package
- £4,000 welcome bonus (for Social Workers new to Cornwall who have completed ASYE)
- Tailored induction and ongoing professional development
- Dedicated Practice Educators and reflective supervision
- 26 days annual leave (rising with service) + bank holidays
- Flexible working, including part-time and homeworking options
- Access to Research in Practice
- Payment of Social Work England registration fees

Cornwall offers an exceptional quality of life, and we prioritise staff wellbeing, work-life balance and supportive leadership.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

- a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
- a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.
- a national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
- Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services

Additional Information: Cornwall Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfer existing sponsorship for this role.
The full role profile is attached here (https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/oxkapmlj/social-worker-grade-3-8002-role-profile-non-managerial-with-new-compentencies-sa-team-only.pdf)
We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview.
For more information or an informal chat about the role please contact Kerrie Edwards at [email protected]
Application Process
A supporting statement or CV can be attached to your application. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as ‘Application’ on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact [email protected] if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.

Existing employees must apply using their Cornwall Council email address through the Opportunity Marketplace on Oracle.