Social Worker in Chester-le-Street

Make a real difference at the point where people need it most. Join a fast‑paced hospital social work team where no two days are the same and your expertise has an immediate, life‑changing impact on patients and their families. We’re looking for a compassionate, confident Social Worker who thrives in a multidisciplinary environment, can balance complex discharge planning with safeguarding responsibilities, and is committed to delivering person‑centred, outcome‑focused care. You’ll be someone who can build strong professional relationships, work decisively under pressure, and advocate effectively for individuals during critical moments in their hospital journey. If you are motivated by meaningful work, value collaboration, and want to be part of a supportive team that plays a vital role in safe and timely discharges, we’d love to hear from you.

Newly Qualified Social Workers (ASYE)

If you are a Newly Qualified Social Worker, you will complete your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) in your first year with us, with structured support, protected development time and access to mentoring to help you build confidence and progress in your role.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

The post holder will have a key role in ensuring an appropriate and timely response to support timely discharge from hospital. The post holder will be required to contribute to the 8 am – 8 pm, 7 days per week, service delivery model, to include working occasional weekends and on‑call arrangements over Bank Holidays. The team enjoy excellent working relationships with colleagues in health settings and have a close working relationship with the other Integrated teams and statutory and non‑statutory organisations.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Experience of, and enthusiasm for, working flexibly within a multi‑disciplinary team
• The ability to undertake holistic assessments of need, commission appropriate services, and implement, monitor, and review care plans

Required Qualifications

A recognised professional social work qualification (e.g. Degree in Social Work, DipSW, CSS or CQSW, or equivalent). Applicants must also be registered with Social Work England or be in the process of applying for registration. Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING

Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Adults Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children, adults, or both.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on Week Commencing 20th July 2026. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website. Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentAHS@durham.gov.uk. All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.