Are you a visionary leader with a passion for excellence in social work practice?

Do you have a deep understanding of the Care Act and other relevant legislation?

Are you ready to inspire and empower teams to deliver outstanding adult social care?

If so, come and join us in Integrated Adult Social Care (IASC) at Devon County Council as our Principal Social Worker and make a lasting impact on the lives of adults in our community.

This key leadership role in IASC will be line managed by the Deputy Director of Adult Social Care Operations and will also work closely with the Principal Occupational Therapist, Principal Social Worker in Safeguarding Partnerships and Head of Social Work in Mental Health to support the Council to achieve its strategic objectives, key qualitative targets and practice standards. This means you will be offered excellent support and supervision, with regular opportunities to discuss and reflect on your practice, both with your line manager and peers.

About the Role

As the Principal Social Worker, you will be at the forefront of driving high standards of practice and ensuring the well-being and dignity of those we support.

Recognising the positive impact of strengths-based practice that truly promotes independence for the people of Devon, you will:

• Champion excellence in social work practice, promoting a culture of continuous learning and professional development.
• Lead on the delivery of the relevant Care Act duties and other relevant legislation, ensuring compliance and best practice across all services.
• Provide strategic leadership and expert advice, influencing policy development and service improvement.
• Support social care practitioners in complex casework, offering guidance and promoting reflective practice.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and partner agencies to ensure holistic and integrated care solutions.

This role requires a relentless focus on supporting and improving the performance of the workforce, and an understanding of effective methodologies, approaches and frameworks that enable this.

About you

You must be a registered Social Worker, with a real passion for high standards of social work and social care practice. You will need an extensive knowledge of legislation, policy and guidance relating to adult social care.

We are looking for a collaborative leader who is:

• Focused on Excellence: Committed to achieving the highest standards in practice and service delivery.
• Legally Confident: In-depth knowledge of the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, and other relevant legislation.
• Inspirational Leader: Able to mentor and support social care teams, fostering a positive and dynamic working environment.
• Strategic Thinker: Visionary in shaping social work practice and influencing policy at local and national levels.
• Passionate Advocate: Dedicated to promoting the rights and well-being of adults, ensuring person-centred care and support.

You will be a strong communicator with an ability to take account of the audience that is receiving the information. This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

If you are passionate about excellence in social work and confident in navigating complex legislation, we want to hear from you.

What we can offer you

We are committed to your continuous professional development , doing all we can to help you to get the most from your career. You will receive excellent support and supervision, with regular opportunities to discuss and reflect on your practice, both with your line manager and peers.

• We offer 26 days annual leave , plus Bank Holidays, rising incrementally to 31 days after 5 years’ service.
• Flexible working opportunities are available, these include part-time hours, flexitime, compressed working hours and homeworking (this is subject to the needs of the role - please discuss at further at interview)
• Offer an opportunity to enter a generous Local Government Pension Scheme.
• As a place to live and work, Devon is hard to beat with top-performing schools, universities, vibrant cities, pretty villages and some of the most scenic coast and countryside in the UK. Living and working in Devon as a Principal Social Worker has never been more attractive.
• If you are currently living, working or studying in the UK and are looking to relocate to Devon, subject to qualifying conditions and in exceptional circumstances, relocation support of up to £10,000, may be available. Visa sponsorship may also be offered as part of the relocation support package, terms and conditions apply.
• Please note: At this time, we are unable to consider overseas applications.

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Keri Storey keri.storey@devon.gov.uk or 07812 030480.

Internal Applicants, please note: If you are an existing DCC employee, please use your iTrent Employee Self Service (ESS) details to log in and apply.

• Happy to Talk Flexible Working -The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work e.g. hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with the Applicant privacy notice.
• For more information about Working for Devon please visit our Working for Devon page.
• This role requires Social Work England Registration (SWE).
• This role requires a DBS disclosure.

REQ007477

Integrated Adult Social Care

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £70,189.00 per year

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: REQ007477