Senior Social Worker

- Suffolk County Council
- Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX
- Salary: £42,872 - £48,607 per annum (pro rata for part time), plus retention payments for 2, 3 and 5 years of service of £1,000, £1,500 and £2,000
- Hours: 37 per week, flexible working options available
- Contract: Permanent

We are looking for a Senior Social Worker to join our Countywide Forensic Mental Health Team within Adult Social Care on a permanent basis.

This is an opportunity to use your social work expertise in a specialist and rewarding area of practice, working with adults with complex needs and supporting positive outcomes in the community. While experience within forensic or mental health settings would be beneficial, we equally welcome applications from qualified Social Workers from other areas who can demonstrate strong transferable skills and an interest in developing their experience within forensic mental health.

At Suffolk County Council, we want you to have a rewarding career while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. You will be supported to develop your practice, share your expertise and make a meaningful difference to the adults you work with.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Senior Social Workers are passionate in demonstrating expert and effective practice in complex situations. Managing your own complex caseload, as well as supporting your colleagues with theirs, you will be a source of specialist advice and enable the mitigation of high levels of risk. You will also bring professional expertise to contribute to the development of practice standards. You will have experience in developing strong working relationships with partners, other agencies, and the voluntary sector to deliver improved outcomes.

What you will need

You will bring significant social work experience, with the confidence to model good practice and provide advice and guidance in complex situations. You will be able to support and mentor both newly qualified and experienced colleagues and have a strong understanding of current legislation, regulations and professional guidance.

You will also need:

- to be a qualified and registered Social Worker who has completed their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
- evidence of two years' continuing professional development and the ability to practise in line with current professional standards
- an in-depth understanding of the financial implications of commissioned care packages
- the ability to make clear, informed decisions and effectively identify and manage risks associated with intervention
- a valid driving licence and access to personal transport.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the ‘How to apply’ section towards the bottom of this advert.

If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

About us

Our staff are our greatest asset and with you in our team, we can achieve the authority's priorities of enabling everyone to live long, healthy, fulfilling lives whilst safeguarding the most vulnerable people in Suffolk. All our staff are provided with Information Technology and devices to allow more flexibility in the role and access to systems like the LiquidLogic Adults' System when working with clients.

We work to a strength-based practice model and would encourage you to apply for our roles if you think you have the same values so we can continue with this approach to help empower Suffolk residents.

In Suffolk, we're transforming how we deliver Adult Social Care through our "People at the Heart of Care" programme. This puts people at the centre of their own care choices and decisions, from initial advice to assessments and self-commissioning. Find out about our plans to transform Adult Social Care, by putting people at the heart of care .

If you are considering applying, we encourage you to watch our video on Reimagining a Career in Adult Social Work . It offers valuable insight into the impact you can make and the support you'll receive as part of our team.

The team

The Countywide Forensic Mental Health Team works across Suffolk in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. The team consists of four Social Workers and a Team Manager and works 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

As a Senior Social Worker, a key part of your role will be undertaking statutory Social Supervision for adults who are subject to conditional discharge in the community. You will also complete Care Act assessments for adults involved with the criminal justice system, working closely with partners including Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, MAPPA and the Ministry of Justice.

You will also work with adults detained under Sections 37/41 of the Mental Health Act during their inpatient admission, supporting their pathway into the community and helping to ensure appropriate care, support and risk management arrangements are in place.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report .

For more information

Please contact Dan Flory for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473260589 or emailing [email protected]

Visit our Social work in Adult Social Care careers pages .

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word) .

Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word) .

- Please describe your experience of managing complex social work cases involving adults with mental health needs. How did you assess and manage risk while promoting the person’s independence, choice and wellbeing?
- Give an example of how you have used a strengths-based and person-centred approach with an adult whose circumstances presented significant complexity, risk or uncertainty. What was the outcome?
- Tell us about a time when you worked collaboratively with health professionals, social care colleagues and other agencies to develop or coordinate a complex care and support plan. How did you manage differing professional views?

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page .

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at   [email protected]  or  03456 014412 . You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages .

Closing date:   11.30 pm, 15 November 2026

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid