Senior Social Care Assistant - Epsom Hospital

Job description

Description

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 role has a starting salary of £34,660 per annum, working 36 hours per week.

We are hiring a Senior Social Care Assistant to join our fantastic team based at Epsom General Hospital. This role will enable you to have a significant positive impact on the lives of our residents as well as being the first step in an extremely rewarding career with many avenues of development and progression available.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (pro-rated for part time opportunities)
• 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 Team

We are a caring and committed team serving residents who find themselves in need of drawing on care and support, and who may have physical disabilities, illness, or sensory impairments.

The Team works closely with carers, family members and partner organisations to enable residents to live their best possible life, ensuring that no one is left behind. We are committed to ensuring carers and family members feel supported, given the vital role they perform in the life of those who matter most to them.

We are a professional team made up of a variety of roles and backgrounds, and we are committed to learning and development at both an individual and team level.

About the Role

In this fast-paced role you will be part of a strong and supportive, not to mention award-winning, team that works to discharge people from both Epsom General Hospital and St Helier Hospital.

We are a busy and diverse team managing hospital discharges as well as carrying out Care Act assessments and support planning, often through the Discharge to Assess (D2A) framework, soon after people have left hospital. The complexity of our work varies greatly, supporting all adult patients of the hospital who are Surrey residents with a need for care and support. We always strive to get people back home, through a strengths-based and person-centred approach, and support them to live their best lives. To achieve this, you will use your assessment skills, and liaise with wards, health colleagues, care agencies, and families, to arrange timely discharges for the people we work with, ensuring they receive the right level of support to promote their wellbeing, independence, choice, and control, in line with the Care Act.

It's a cliché but no two days are the same and every working day ends with you knowing you are making a positive difference to people's lives. You will receive excellent training and the opportunity to progress your career by building on your existing knowledge and experience while developing new skills. The role offers hybrid working however there is the expectation to be in the office at least 3 days a week, in line with our Team Charter, to support hospital discharges. Our team covers the hours of 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. This role does require occasional weekend working.

When joining us, you will receive regular supervision, management support, training opportunities, and peer-to-peer learning, all of which will promote your own professional growth and development. You will become part of a fantastic team that supports each other and works closely with our acute hospital health colleagues, enabling a positive and collaborative approach to our work.

As a team, we are committed to making a difference to our residents lives, ensuring no one is left behind, and working in a positive and inclusive manner.

Your Application

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

• The ability to empathise with, and show compassion towards, individuals in need of social care assistance.
• Experience of working with residents with a variety of physical and cognitive social care needs, including strength-based assessments, home visits, and support plans.
• Working knowledge of the Care Act legislation and how it impacts the work we do.
• The ability to independently take the initiative and adapt to shifting priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly, concisely, and respectfully, both verbally and in writing.

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and locality based social care workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK and access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long-term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

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

1. Please tell us about the relevant experience or transferable skills you have that you can bring to this role.
2. What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Senior Social Care Assistant and how do these qualities support Surrey County Council's culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and adaptability?
3. Please outline how you would provide a strength based and person-centred approach to discharge planning from hospital.

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

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

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 Sean McDonough by email or on MS Teams.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 14/10/2026 with interviews planned for the W/C 26th October.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) (Known allocation)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1 April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is East Surrey Council, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council .

Our Commitment

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 shortlisting criteria, as displayed on the advert, 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.

Files to download

• Senior Social Care Assistant - Job Description (PDF)

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