Adults Assistant Team Manager - Social Worker

Surrey County Council; Weybridge; On-site; GBP 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK seeks an experienced Assistant Team Manager - Social Worker to deliver high-quality, person-centered practice. The role involves operational leadership, oversight of assessments, and partnership working, expected from those already employed by Surrey County Council. Applicants must have a professional qualification and be registered with Social Work England, along with significant experience in adult social care legislation. Competitive salary of £54,636 per annum with benefits including annual leave and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

26 days' holiday

Local government pension

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Wellbeing discounts

Learning and development resources

Responsibilities

• Provide operational and professional leadership.
• Oversee assessments and support plans for complex situations.
• Contribute to enhancing service quality and team development.

Skills

Professional social work qualification

Significant post-qualification experience

Applied knowledge of Adult Social Care legislation

Excellent communication skills

Experience in inter-agency partnership working

Strong commitment to positive outcomes

Education

Registration with Social Work England

Job description

Adults Assistant Team Manager - Social Worker

Details

• Reference: SCC/TP/287938/4500
• Positions: 1
• Category: Qualified Social Work - Adult's
• Contract type: Permanent
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 30 January 2026
• Closing date: 15 February 2026

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.

This permanent role has a starting salary of £54,636 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.
We have a great opportunity to join our East Area team as a Assistant Team Manager.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, 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
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About The Role

As an Assistant Team Manager, you will provide day‑to‑day operational and professional leadership, ensuring high‑quality, person‑centred practice that delivers positive outcomes for residents, carers and families. You will oversee and quality‑assure assessments, support plans and reviews, particularly where situations are complex or high risk, and offer expert guidance on legislation and best practice, including the Care Act, the Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding. The role involves reflective professional supervision, supporting staff to manage risk confidently, contributing to service improvement and deputising for the Team Manager when required. Close partnership working with health, housing and voluntary sector colleagues is essential, alongside a flexible response to both routine demands and unexpected challenges.

You will hold direct line management responsibility for a defined group of staff, providing regular supervision, performance management and appraisals, supporting professional development and addressing wellbeing, capability or conduct issues in line with organisational policies. A key part of the role is supporting newly qualified practitioners and fostering a positive, learning‑focused team culture.

Over the next 12 to 18 months, you will contribute to priorities such as strengthening practice quality and consistency, embedding strengths‑based and outcome‑focused approaches and building capability across the team. You will play a central role in establishing and developing a newly formed locality team following the redesign from three separate teams into a single, larger service. This includes supporting improvement and transformation activity, contributing to quality assurance, and helping prepare the service for ongoing organisational change, collaborative working and evolving models of care.

This role offers a genuine opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Through your leadership and professional expertise, you will directly influence practice quality, support staff to make confident and lawful decisions and help safeguard and improve outcomes for residents. Your contribution will support the Council's wider aims around prevention, partnership working, community‑based support and delivering compassionate, effective services that improve lives.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours :

• A professional social work qualification and registration with Social Work England
• Significant post-qualification experience, including experience in a social care setting, and an excellent understanding of the social care and health agendas
• Applied knowledge of Adult Social Care legislation, including the Mental Capacity Act and NHS Continuing Healthcare Framework
• Effective knowledge of safeguarding vulnerable adults' procedures
• Excellent communication skills that enable you to successfully manage a team and develop relationships
• Examples of when you have provided effective professional supervision to less experienced colleagues
• A track record in inter‑agency, partnership working
• Strong commitment to achieving positive, strengths‑based outcomes that promote maximum community inclusion, and personal choice and control

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 3 questions:

• Looking at our advert, and considering the Council's commitment to ensuring that "no one is left behind", please tell us what it is about the role that has motivated you to apply?
• Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have that you can bring to this role?
• What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Assistant Team Manager and how do these qualities support Surrey County Council's culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and adaptability?

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 15/02/2026 with interviews planned to follow.

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 Cristina Villaci-Adams or Peter Griffin-Watts by email or on MS Teams.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.