Job Description

Social Worker – level 1 or 2 | 10275 | permanent contract | 37 hours per week | £37,280 to £41,771 per annum | Grade I/J | Dereham, Norfolk

Level 1: £37,280 to £39,152 per annum (Scale I)

Level 2: £39,862 to £41,771 per annum (Scale J)

We offer a £2000 welcome payment for qualified and experienced Social Workers (grade J and above) new to Norfolk County Council. Amount to be repaid in full should you leave within two years of employment.

For experienced Social Workers new to Norfolk County Council, we promise to try and match or better your existing salary, providing it's in the spectrum of the grade advertised.

It is an exciting time to join our team of dedicated and passionate Social Workers. We are looking for a Social Worker to join our Community Social Work Team specialising in Older People and Physical Disability.

We are embracing our Living Well agenda and supporting people to be independent, resilient and well. We are proud of our multi-disciplinary working environment and positive working relationships with our Health colleagues.

Our team values good listening skills, flexibility, adaptability to new ways of working and a commitment to supporting people to maintain their independence. Workers in our team are open to change, innovative and confident with a focus on strengthening social care across Norfolk. We build strong partnerships with service users and their families, are ambitious about what people can achieve and explore ideas for positive outcomes that are fit for purpose and best value for money.

Our team is experienced with working with complex cases, have a sound knowledge of the Care Act (2014), Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Safeguarding, as well as excellent time management and IT skills. Any new staff are supported to develop a thorough working knowledge of Norfolk County Council processes and procedures.

Covering South Norfolk, our team of Social Workers, Assistant Practitioners and Occupational Therapists use the Care Act (2014) to assess and provide support to adults living in the community.

We are investing in people who can take us forward on our journey to embed our vision. If you are a registered Social Worker, committed to a person-centred and strengths-based way of working, we would love to hear from you. In return, we can offer you the opportunity to work in an exciting and challenging area of Social Care, where you will be supported to develop into the role with regular supervision, training and peer support.

What we offer

At Norfolk County Council we are committed to our employees’ learning and development. We offer all Social Workers and Occupational Therapists a protected half day per month for continuing professional development and training.

We want our people to be inspired and motivated to work well together, make the most of our workspaces, enjoy a healthy work-life balance, and deliver excellent services to Norfolk and its people. Flexibility is built into the way we work, with hybrid working a key feature for many roles. Our technology platform and equipment are first class, enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely.

To build meaningful relationships with the people we support, this role requires regular in-person work in both the office and community.

Your application

Before you apply, we recommend reading the full and Person Specification to help you demonstrate you meet the criteria. Please ensure you include a statement in your application to demonstrate why you feel you meet the person specification and job description for this post. CVs submitted without a supporting statement about this post may not be accepted. 

You need to be registered with Social Work England as a practising Social Worker.

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 3 months for equal positions.

For further information, please contact recruiting manager Louise Haverson at louise.haverson@norfolk.gov.uk

These are some benefits you can enjoy by working for Norfolk County Council:

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling service
• Flexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working – dependent on your job role and business need.
• Financial benefits such as:
  • ‘Norfolk Rewards’our employee discounts programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out.
  • A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care Workers
  • Relocation expenses (where applicable)
  • An advance of your expenses if you travel for work
  • Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants’ pensions.

  • Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension and new bikes

  • Access to our tax efficient car lease scheme for greener travel enabling you to lease a brand new, ultra-low emission vehicle (subject to eligibility)

  • A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job

You can find information on our Terms and Conditions here.

Already a Norfolk County Council employee? See and apply for internal and external vacancies in myOracle using your @norfolk.gov.uk or @nccal.ac.uk email.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.

Redeployment closing date: 06 July 2026

All other applicants closing date: 13 July 2026

We have miles of beautiful coastline and our unique Broads, thriving market towns and a city with a proud cultural heritage. Our economy is growing and driven by innovation in a number of sectors, including energy and food. We also have ambitious plans for new housing and a building programme for schools across Norfolk. Our county a great place to live, work and visit, and is an excellent environment for businesses to start, grow and innovate.