Dorset Council UK
Experienced Social Workers - East Dorset
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Room to practise. Support to grow.
Dorset is a county where you can genuinely get to know the people you work with. Caseloads are manageable, supervision is meaningful, and the work feels grounded in the places and communities it serves.
Our Adult Social Care service is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), recognising the strength of our practice, leadership, and workforce culture. Inspectors highlighted a service where there is a “clear sense of community”, with leaders and partners working positively together to meet the needs of local people.
We are a council that invests in its social workers. That means regular reflective supervision, a clear pathway for development, and leaders who are visible and accessible. It also means creating the right conditions for good social work: time to think, supportive teams, and the confidence to use your professional judgement well.
In a recent workshop, the people we support told us what they value most in a social worker: someone who listens without interrupting, follows through on what they say they will do, thinks creatively, and genuinely cares. This reflects what inspectors see in Dorset, a workforce that builds strong relationships and works in a person-centred, strengths-based way to achieve meaningful outcomes.
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About The Role
You will carry out strengths-based assessments and develop support plans that help people live as independently as possible.
You will work closely with colleagues across health, housing, and other local authority teams, contributing to multi-disciplinary decision-making and providing constructive professional challenge where needed.
Statutory competence matters here. You will be expected to apply:
- Care Act 2014
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Mental Health Act 2007
with confidence. In Dorset, professional judgement is respected and supported, within a clear and robust safeguarding framework.
About You
You will hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England.
If You Are Experienced, You Will Bring
- Confident statutory practice
- Strong analytical thinking
- The ability to build and sustain relationships, especially through complexity, not just manage cases
You will be adaptable and genuinely person-centred, not just as a statement but in how you practise every day.
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You Will Also Be
- Reliable and accountable
- Open in how you share your knowledge with the people you support
- Committed to continuing to develop your practice
Why join Dorset
We offer hybrid and flexible working across all roles, alongside:
- Regular, reflective supervision
- Access to mentoring and coaching
- A strong professional development offer
- A generous benefits package, including 27+ days annual leave, paid sick leave, and the Local Government Pension Scheme
Our East Dorset team has a strong local identity, you will be part of a team that knows its area and the people within it, something recognised as a real strength through inspection.
For social workers relocating to East Dorset, we offer a generous support package including:
- Up to £2,500 advance on your start date
- Up to £6,500 towards buying or selling costs
- Support towards rent or mortgage costs in your first two years
- Up to £8,000 of eligible elements tax-free
Hear Directly From Our Adults Social Workers
Find out more about working in Adult Social Care at Dorset Council.
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