Adult Social Care Practitioner - Learning Disabilities team (Adults) in Shepton Mallet

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Salary: Grade 12 starting at £29,542 rising annually to £33,119 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week

Location: Mendip (Shepton Mallet)

Support people to live independently, stay connected and have real choice and control over their lives.

Are you passionate about working alongside adults with learning disabilities to recognise their strengths, achieve the outcomes that matter to them and live fulfilling lives within their communities?

This is an opportunity to join our Learning Disabilities team in Mendip as an Adult Social Care Practitioner, working directly with adults, families, carers and partner organisations to find creative, strengths-based solutions that promote independence and make a meaningful difference.

Our vision at Somerset Council is"A fairer, better future", putting people at the heart of everything we do and helping residents thrive, feel connected and live well.

About the Role

As an Adult Social Care Practitioner, you'll work alongside adults with learning disabilities and their carers, getting to understand the whole person, their strengths, relationships, community connections, goals and the things that matter most to them.

You'll undertake assessments and reviews and develop personalised, outcome-focused support under the Care Act 2014, promoting independence wherever possible and helping people exercise choice and control over their lives.

This isn't simply about identifying services. You'll work with people to explore their existing strengths and community resources, identify sustainable solutions and consider what can help them remain as independent as possible.

It's work that sits naturally alongside our new Connection mission. Somerset Council wants adults to live healthy, independent lives and remain connected to the relationships, networks and support that keep people safe, healthy and resilient.

How You'll Make a Difference

• Promote independence and choice: work with adults and carers to identify strengths, needs, aspirations and opportunities, developing support that helps people achieve meaningful outcomes and maintain as much independence as possible.
• Put people at the centre: co-create personalised, outcome-focused support plans that promote choice and control, including exploring options such as direct payments where appropriate.
• Build on community strengths: help people explore community services and opportunities, including health, housing, learning, employment, leisure, voluntary organisations and other sources of support.
• Work together around the person: build effective relationships with families, carers, health professionals, providers and partner organisations, bringing people together where a multidisciplinary approach will help achieve better outcomes.
• Promote rights and safeguard wellbeing: identify and respond appropriately to risk, safeguarding, capacity and advocacy needs, seeking professional or specialist input where required.
• Keep support meaningful and sustainable: review support with adults, carers and providers, responding when needs or circumstances change and ensuring plans remain focused on the person's outcomes

Our values shape how we do this work. That means working as one team, sharing knowledge and collaborating across boundaries; striving for excellence by staying curious and looking for better ways to support people; and building belonging by treating people with dignity, kindness and respect and valuing different perspectives and experiences

What You'll Bring

You don't need to be a qualified Social Worker to apply for this role. We're looking for someone who can combine compassion and curiosity with good judgement, organisation and a genuine commitment to supporting people's independence.

You'll bring:

• Experience of working in a caring or supportive role, which does not necessarily need to have been paid employment.
• GCSE-level literacy and numeracy, or equivalent, with the ability to communicate clearly and maintain accurate records.
• An understanding of the rights of adults and carers, with the confidence to advocate for people and ensure their voice is central to decisions that affect their lives.
• A compassionate, respectful and person-centred approach, recognising each person's individual circumstances, strengths and needs.
• The ability to work independently, use your initiative and manage competing priorities, while knowing when to seek advice or specialist professional support.
• Confidence using IT and digital systems to maintain accurate and timely records.

Experience within a care setting and an NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent health and social care qualification would be welcome, but these are desirable rather than essential.

Most importantly, you'll share our belief that people should be listened to, valued as individuals and supported to have as much independence, choice and control as possible.

Why Join Us?

At Somerset Council, we're a progressive organisation committed to improving lives and shaping better services for our communities. Based in one of England's most beautiful counties, it's a great place to build your career and enjoy an excellent quality of life.

Our new vision is about creating a fairer, better future for Somerset, and our people are central to making that happen. The Council has committed to investing in development, wellbeing and belonging, creating a culture where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to make a difference.

• 28 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), one of the UK's most enhanced and secure pension schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance, where service needs allow.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to confidential employee assistance services.
• Paid volunteering opportunities, helping you make a difference both inside and outside of work.
• This is a full-time role offering 37 hours per week. The working pattern will be agreed with the successful candidate in line with service needs.
• The role is based in Mendip and will involve travel to meet adults and carers in their homes and community settings.
• 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.
• This post is subject to the appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• If you currently work for Somerset Council, please apply through the internal SuccessFactors careers page.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. We can only proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Georgia Cottrell, Service Manager, Learning Disabilities service via email: Georgia.Cottrell@somerset.gov.uk

We believe diversity makes us stronger and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, whose unique perspectives help us better serve the people of Somerset.

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