Adult Social Care Practitioner - Transitions team in Bridgwater

Closing date: 1st October 2026.

Transform lives, champion rights & support adults to achieve their full potential.

• Location: Bridgwater
• 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

Regretfully we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. As such, we are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship.

Role Purpose

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Transition to Adult Social Care team, supporting young people and their families as they prepare for adulthood and move from Children's Services into Adult Social Care. You will build positive relationships, understand what matters to each person and help develop practical, strengths-based support that promotes independence, choice and control.

Working with guidance and support from experienced colleagues, you will assess and review care and support needs under the Care Act 2014, coordinate person-centred plans and connect young people and carers with community, health, housing, education, employment and voluntary-sector resources. You will also contribute to transition planning meetings and school or college reviews, helping to create a joined-up and well-planned journey into adult services.

This is a varied and meaningful role for someone who is compassionate, organised and confident working with young people, families and professionals. You do not need to be a registered Social Worker, but you will need experience in a caring or supportive role and a strong commitment to rights, inclusion and independence.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete strengths-based assessments and reviews, identifying assets, needs, risks and outcomes with young people and their carers.
• Co-create personalised, outcome-focused support plans that promote independence, choice and control.
• Provide clear information, advice and support about community services, health, welfare benefits, housing, learning, employment and voluntary or user-led organisations.
• Attend and contribute to transition planning meetings, school and college reviews, multi-disciplinary meetings and other decision-making forums.
• Work closely with Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, health professionals, education colleagues, providers and partner agencies.
• Recognise concerns relating to risk, safeguarding, capacity or deprivation of liberty and seek guidance or elevate appropriately.
• Identify when specialist professional input or independent advocacy may be required and help coordinate this support.
• Arrange, monitor and review commissioned services and self-managed support, including direct payments, in line with agreed plans and available resources.
• Manage an agreed caseload with appropriate autonomy, prioritising work and responding to urgent situations when required.
• Maintain accurate and timely case records, prepare reports and contribute to practice audits, supervision and ongoing learning.

What We're Looking For - Essential Skills/Experience

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting young people and families at a pivotal stage in their lives. You will bring:

• Experience of working in a caring or supportive role, whether paid, voluntary or through another relevant setting.
• An understanding of people's rights and the ability to advocate for individuals and carers.
• Empathy, respect and the ability to build trust with people who may have different needs or communication styles.
• Confidence working independently, using initiative and seeking professional guidance when needed.
• Good organisation skills and the ability to manage priorities, competing demands and accurate records.
• Ability to communicate clearly and work collaboratively with families, colleagues and partner agencies.
• Literacy and numeracy to GCSE level or equivalent, together with confidence using IT systems.
• Ability to speak fluent English as stated in Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016.

About the Team/Service

The Transition to Adult Social Care team supports young people as they move towards adulthood, helping them and their families understand the options available and plan for the future. The team works across services and agencies to ensure that transitions are timely, coordinated and centred on each young person's strengths, aspirations and desired outcomes.

You will join a collaborative environment where practitioners work alongside Social Workers and partner professionals. The service values reflective practice, learning and development, with regular supervision and opportunities to build your knowledge and progress your career in Adult Social Care.

Find out more about working at Somerset Council: https://www.somerset.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/working-at-somerset-council/

Additional Information

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.

For a full job description, please follow this link: 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.
• Working knowledge of Social Care Service.
• Awareness of relevant legislation. Knowledge of services relevant to needs and circumstances of service users and carers.
• Awareness and understanding of the principles of Social Work.
• Experience working in a caring or supportive role, not necessarily in paid employment.
• Experience in working in a care setting.
• Literate and numerate to GCSE level or equivalent.
• NVQ 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent (equivalent must be health and social care related).
• Manual handling certificate for staff within Day Opportunities.
• Ability to speak fluent English as stated in Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016).
• Positive attitude towards computers and ability to input and retrieve data and information.
• Demonstrates empathy with service users and carers and understanding and respect for individual needs.
• Ability to work alone and use own initiative.
• Has an open and flexible manner, which elicits trust and confidence.
• Takes a full and active part in own professional development, appraisal and supervision.
• High level of IT literacy with; Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2003/2010, AIS (Adults Integrated Systems) or similar record keeping databases.

HR/1380