Social Worker

Derbyshire County Council

📍Derby, England, UK
Posted May 26, 2026

Job Overview

Position

Social Worker

Company

Derbyshire County Council

Location

Derby, England, UK

Work Type

On-site

Job ID

li-4415663450

Job Description

Closing date:
31 May 2026

⭐Social Worker - Adult Care (DART Team)⭐
We’re looking for two enthusiastic and motivated Social Workers to join our Discharge & Assessment Reviewing Team (DART). Our team plays a vital role in helping adults return home safely and live independently after hospital discharge. Working at the heart of Derbyshire communities, we provide timely assessments, community-based reviews, and sustainable support planning that promotes independence and wellbeing. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and want to make a tangible impact, this is the team for you.

What You’ll Do
As a Social Worker, you will:

  • Complete Care Act (2014) assessments and reviews, including complex cases.

  • Manage a varied caseload, ensuring statutory duties are met in a safe, accountable, and cost-effective way.

  • Act as duty worker on a rota basis, triaging new referrals and responding to urgent situations.

  • Work collaboratively with health partners, providers, and other agencies to ensure coordinated care.

  • Champion person-centred approaches, safeguarding, and strength-based practice in every decision.

  • Support the team and Social Care Practitioners with Mental Capacity Act (2005) assessments, including Best Interest decisions, and provide guidance to ensure person-centred, lawful practice.

  • Contribute to a positive, supportive team culture and continuous improvement.

About You
You’ll be a proactive and compassionate Social Worker who:

  • Is registered with Social Work England and committed to professional standards.

  • Brings strong organisational skills and professional curiosity.

  • Works creatively and solution-focused to achieve better outcomes.

  • Builds positive relationships with adults, carers, and partner organisations.

  • Communicates clearly and works well as part of a team.

  • Thrives in a fast-paced environment and is motivated by making a difference.

  • Is confident in applying the Care Act 2014, Making Safeguarding Personal, and the Mental Capacity Act in practice.

What We Offer

  • Generous Annual Leave - 25/27 days (rising to 30/32 after 5 years) plus bank holidays - grade dependant

  • Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme

  • Supportive Management & Team - regular supervision and strong peer support.

  • Training & Development opportunities

  • Wellbeing Support Framework - occupational health, physiotherapy, CBT, and counselling.

  • Employee Assistance Programme and Derbyshire Rewards package.

  • Paid Travel Expenses (T&Cs apply) and Cycle to Work Scheme.

  • Hybrid Working - we support flexible, agile working across home, office, and the community, with the technology and support you need to succeed.

Working for Derbyshire County Council puts you at the heart of local communities and offers the satisfaction of making a real difference to people’s lives.

More details on the benefits of working for the council can be found on our Reward and Recognition page.

For more information about the role or an informal chat, please email [email protected]
Provisional Interview Date: TBC
Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.

Apply now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us! By joining Derbyshire County Council you will have access to a range of amazing rewards and employee benefits, including our generous annual leave scheme, excellent local government pension and fantastic employee discounts. To discover more detail about the rewards and benefits available to you, click here

ASCH1

Important:
Derbyshire County Council holds a sponsorship licence, but
this role does not offer visa sponsorship
. Please apply
only if you already have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship
, as applications that do not meet this requirement will be rejected.

We welcome applications from individuals who share our values — being Collaborative, Innovative, Empowered and Accountable. These values describe who we are and what we stand for as a council. They help shape our culture, encourage consistent behaviour and guide how we work together to make a positive difference for both our employees and the residents we serve.

Interview Prep

AI-powered insights to help you prepare

Key Skills

Required:
Preferred:

Practice Questions

💡Technical Questions (3)
  • 1.How do you apply the Care Act 2014 and strength-based approaches when completing a complex assessment for an adult being discharged from the hospital?
  • 2.Can you explain your process for conducting a Mental Capacity Act assessment and making a Best Interest decision for a service user who wants to return home despite significant risks?
  • 3.How do you integrate the principle of 'Making Safeguarding Personal' when managing a safeguarding concern for a vulnerable adult in the community?
🎯Behavioral Questions (3)
  • 1.Tell me about a time you managed a heavy and varied caseload while also acting as the duty worker. How did you prioritize and ensure statutory duties were met?
  • 2.Describe a situation where you had to work collaboratively with health partners and other agencies to ensure a safe and timely hospital discharge for a complex case.
  • 3.Give an example of a time you used professional curiosity and a solution-focused approach to achieve a better outcome for an adult or carer.
🧩Situational Questions (2)
  • 1.You are the duty worker and receive an urgent referral for a service user who has just been discharged home and is refusing all care, but the hospital team has flagged severe safety concerns. What do you do?
  • 2.You are supporting a Social Care Practitioner who is struggling to complete a Mental Capacity Act assessment lawfully and keep the focus person-centred. How do you handle this?

Resume Keywords

Make sure these keywords appear on your resume

Care Act 2014Mental Capacity Act 2005Hospital DischargeSafeguardingStrength-Based PracticePerson-CentredMulti-Disciplinary TeamBest Interest DecisionsCaseload ManagementDuty WorkerCommunity AssessmentsSocial Work England

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