Social Worker - Safeguarding; Countywide); Adults

Closing date: 16 October 2026

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

Build your career. Lead safeguarding. Use your professional voice.

This is not a sideways move – it’s a step forward. If you’re looking for a safeguarding role where your social work skills, values and professional curiosity genuinely shape practice, this is an opportunity to grow into advanced, specialist or future leadership roles.

• Location:
  
  Can be based in Yeovil or Taunton, but the role is countywide
• Starting salary £37,280 rising annually, currently up to £41,777 (pending pay award)
• Full time, 37 hours per week. Part time hours of 22.5 hours or more can also be considered.
• Ideal opportunity for an experienced practitioner looking for their next step
• 30 days annual leave entitlement

As a Safeguarding Social Worker, you will lead complex safeguarding work with adults at risk, ensuring practice is rights‑led, trauma‑informed and grounded in strong professional judgement.

You will work directly with adults, families, carers and advocates, using your professional voice to analyse risk, promote autonomy and protection, and achieve meaningful outcomes. This role allows you to practise confident, relational safeguarding rather than process‑driven responses, supporting adults to be heard and protected.

The post offers rich exposure to complex safeguarding, self‑neglect and legal decision‑making, helping you build advanced skills and professional confidence.

• Lead Section 42 safeguarding enquiries under the Care Act 2014 from initial decision through to outcome.
• Work face‑to‑face with adults at risk, families, carers and advocates, keeping lived experience, rights and outcomes central to practice.
• Chair and contribute to multi‑agency safeguarding meetings, driving purposeful and proportionate safeguarding plans.
• Apply the Mental Capacity Act and associated legal frameworks in complex situations where risk, autonomy and protection intersect.
• Analyse risk and evidence, challenging appropriately both within the organisation and across partner agencies.
• Produce clear, analytical and defensible recording, demonstrating professional reasoning and ethical decision‑making.
• Contribute to a culture of learning, reflection and safeguarding improvement.

We’re looking for social workers who want to develop their safeguarding expertise and influence practice.

You will have:

• A recognised Social Work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
• Interest in or experience of safeguarding adults, including complex risk and self‑neglect.
• Confidence to analyse information, exercise professional judgement and challenge where required.
• Commitment to trauma‑informed, strengths‑based and rights‑led practice.
• Ability to work collaboratively across agencies while maintaining a clear social work perspective.

Applications are welcomed from Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) as well as experienced practitioners.

You’ll join a Safeguarding Adults service that is evolving and ambitious. Safeguarding in Somerset is led by social work expertise, not tick‑box processes.

The Safeguarding Adults Board is independently chaired by Professor Michael Preston‑Shoot, reflecting a strong focus on learning, reflection and system improvement. This is a service where practitioners are developed, not just managed, and where professional curiosity is encouraged.

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.

Support, Learning &…