Somerset Council
Adult Social Care Practitioner - Safeguarding (Adults)
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Closing date: 31 August 2026
Transform lives, champion rights & support adults to achieve their full potential.
Location: Taunton
Starting salary £28,598 rising annually, currently up to £32,061
Full time, 37 hours per week
Ideal opportunity to join the pathway to become a fully qualified social worker
28 days annual leave entitlement
Role Purpose
As an Adult Social Care Practitioner, you will support adults and carers through strengths-based, outcome-focused practice whilst helping to safeguard adults who may be at risk of abuse or neglect. Working under the supervision of a Social Work Manager, you will gather and analyse information, support safeguarding decision-making and contribute to ensuring people's voices, wishes and outcomes remain at the centre of all safeguarding activity.
Working within the Safeguarding Service Triage Team, you will engage with adults, carers, families and professionals to identify risks, promote wellbeing and ensure appropriate actions are taken to protect people from harm.
Key Responsibilities
- Gather and analyse information to support safeguarding decision-making.
- Make contact with people who are at risk of, or experiencing, abuse and neglect, as well as family members and professionals involved in their lives.
- Apply professional curiosity when reviewing information and assessing potential safeguarding concerns.
- Contribute to safeguarding enquiries and protection planning.
- Inform, advise and support adults and carers to access appropriate services and community-based support.
- Work collaboratively with Social Workers, health colleagues, partner agencies and voluntary organisations to achieve positive outcomes.
- Manage an agreed workload, prioritising activity according to risk and need.
- Maintain accurate records and documentation in line with safeguarding procedures and statutory requirements.
- Support service improvement activity and contribute to team learning and development.
- Promote the rights, dignity, independence and wellbeing of adults at all times.
What We’re Looking For – Essential Skills/Experience
We're looking for compassionate, resilient practitioners who are passionate about safeguarding adults and making a positive difference.
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You will bring:
- Experience working in a caring or supportive role (paid or unpaid).
- An understanding of the rights of adults and carers and the ability to advocate on their behalf.
- Good communication skills and confidence engaging with a wide range of people.
- Ability to gather, analyse and interpret information effectively.
- A positive attitude towards learning and development.
- Ability to work independently using initiative and sound judgement.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
- A commitment to promoting human rights and delivering person-centred practice.
About the Team/Service
This role is based within our Safeguarding Service Triage Team, where you'll play a vital role in helping protect adults from abuse and neglect and ensuring their wishes and experiences are heard.
You will be working as part of a fast-paced, supportive and knowledgeable team focused on protecting people who are at risk of, or experiencing, abuse and neglect. The team places a strong emphasis on learning and development, with opportunities for progression including Social Work and Occupational Therapy apprenticeships.
To succeed in the team, you'll need strong communication skills, a can-do approach and a commitment to upholding people's human rights. This is a hybrid role, however the team works together from County Hall, Taunton every Tuesday, so applicants must be able to attend the office on that day.
Working within safeguarding offers a unique opportunity to develop your assessment, communication and analytical skills whilst making a real difference to some of Somerset's most vulnerable adults.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for Visa sponsorship.
Due to the nature of the role and the geographical area of the service across Somerset, which is a largely rural county, with limitations around public transport the ability to be able to travel to any location is essential. Therefore, applicants must have full access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.
We recognise and welcome applications from disabled individuals who may require reasonable adjustments to meet this requirement, and we’re happy to discuss this from the first point of contact with the recruitment team.
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For an informal chat about the role, you can contact: Helen Readdy – Recruitment and Engagement Officer, Adults – helen.readdy@somerset.gov.uk
Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early if we have received a sufficient number of applications, so don’t delay, apply today! (If you are an internal applicant, please apply via the internal careers site)
A full job description can be found here: Adult Social Care Practitioner - Job Description - AG1045
Person Specification
| Criteria | Essential | Desirable |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness and understanding of rights of service users and carers and ability to advocate on their behalf. | X | |
| Working knowledge of Social Care Service. | X | |
| Awareness of relevant legislation. Knowledge of services relevant to needs and circumstances of service users and carers. | X | |
| Awareness and understanding of the principles of Social Work. | X | |
| Experience working in a caring or supportive role, not necessarily in paid employment. | X | |
| Experience in working in a care setting. | X | |
| Literate and numerate to GCSE level or equivalent. | X | |
| NVQ 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent (equivalent must be health and social care related). | X | |
| Manual handling certificate for staff within Day Opportunities. | X | |
| Ability to speak fluent English as stated in Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016). | X | |
| Positive attitude towards computers and ability to input and retrieve data and information. | X | |
| Demonstrates empathy with service users and carers and understanding and respect for individual needs. | X | |
| Ability to work alone and use own initiative. | X | |
| Has an open and flexible manner, which elicits trust and confidence. | X | |
| Takes a full and active part in own professional development, appraisal and supervision. | X | |
| High level of IT literacy with; Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2003/2010, AIS (Adults Integrated Systems) or similar record keeping databases. | X |
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