Adults Social Worker - Prevention of Admission Team

Are you an experienced Adult Social Worker looking for a fast-paced, rewarding role where your work can make an immediate difference to people's lives?

We're recruiting for a Locum Adult Social Worker to join the South West Prevention of Admission Team, covering South and West Hertfordshire, including St Albans, Dacorum, Watford, Hertsmere and Three Rivers.

About the Prevention of Admission Team

The Prevention of Admission Team provides same-day or next-day visits, ensuring adults receive prompt support when they need it most.

The team works with individuals aged 65 and over, or those under 65 with a confirmed dementia diagnosis, who are experiencing a deterioration in their health or care circumstances and may be at risk of hospital, residential or inpatient admission within 48 hours.

The focus is on early intervention, prevention and enablement, finding practical solutions that help people remain safely and independently in their own homes wherever possible.

What you'll be doing:
As a Social Worker within the team, you will:
Conduct priority Care Act assessments in response to urgent situations
Complete same-day or next-day visits where required
Identify creative and preventative outcomes for individuals and their families
Assess risks, strengths, needs and available support
Develop plans that help people remain living safely at home
Explore enablement and reablement options to help individuals regain strength and independence
Consider short-term respite and other preventative support
Respond to situations where carer breakdown or carer illness has created an immediate risk
Support individuals experiencing an exacerbation of short- or long-term health conditions
Identify opportunities where short-term intervention can prevent or minimise longer-term care needs
Work closely with Community Care Officers, health professionals, carers, families and other agencies
Help stabilise urgent situations and prevent avoidable admissions
Ensure assessments, decisions and interventions are accurately recorded
The Team

You'll be joining a multi-disciplinary team made up of Social Workers and Community Care Officers, working collaboratively to respond quickly to urgent situations.

The teams involvement is often short-term but highly impactful. Rather than simply arranging long-term care, the focus is on finding the right intervention at the right time to help people regain independence and remain at home.

You may be supporting people experiencing:

Carer breakdown, including situations where a carer has become unwell
An exacerbation of a short-term or long-term health condition
A need for short-term respite
A need for enablement home care to regain strength and remain at home
A situation where short-term intervention could prevent or reduce the need for long-term care
Urgent changes in care or support circumstances that could otherwise result in hospital or residential admission

Why Join?

This is an excellent opportunity for a Social Worker who enjoys practical, solution-focused and strengths-based work and wants to see the direct impact of their interventions.

You'll have the opportunity to make a real difference by helping people:

Remain safely in their own homes
Regain independence and confidence
Avoid unnecessary hospital admissions
Prevent or delay long-term care
Access the right support at the right time
Role details:
£32.00 per hour Umbrella
South & West Hertfordshire
Same-day/next-day community-based visits
Adults aged 65+ or under 65 with confirmed dementia
Priority Care Act assessments
Multi-disciplinary working
Short-term, preventative and outcome-focused interventions

About you:

We're looking for an experienced Adult Social Worker with:

Social Work England registration

Experience of working within adult social care
Strong knowledge of the Care Act
Experience completing assessments and care planning
Excellent risk assessment and decision-making skills
Experience working with older people and/or people living with dementia
A strong understanding of strengths-based and preventative practice
Confidence working in urgent and…