RIACT TEAM - 3 x 37hr Social Workers, fixed term posts until 30th September 2027.
We are currently recruiting experienced Band 10 or 11 Social Workers.
Are you a passionate and experienced Social Worker looking to be part of an ambitious and evolving hospital team? Do you believe in empowering people to live safely and independently in their own homes? If so, we would love to hear from you.
Our hospital social work service is undergoing an exciting period of transformation, with a strong commitment to a Home First approach. We are building a forward-thinking team of motivated professionals who share our vision of supporting individuals in maintaining independence and achieving the best possible outcomes following a hospital stay.
We are currently recruiting Hospital Social Workers to join us in two key areas of the service:
- Hospital Discharge Team – supporting safe, timely and person-centred discharges from hospital.
- Reviewing Team – working within our newly designed service to review and support individuals following discharge, or those requiring a further period of assessment before returning home safely.
What We Are Looking For
We are seeking Social Workers who are:
Experienced and confident in adult social care practice.
Experienced in hospital social work or short-term assessment teams (desirable).
Enthusiastic and motivated about improving outcomes for individuals and families.
Resilient, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Adaptable and positive about service development and change.
Committed to partnership working across health and social care.
Passionate about promoting independence, dignity and person-centred practice.
The Role
As part of our team, you will:
Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to facilitate safe and timely discharges.
Undertake strengths-based assessments, supporting people to return home wherever possible.
Engage with individuals and their families to develop creative, person-centred plans that maximise independence.
Support review and reassessment, ensuring appropriate support is in place following discharge.
Contribute to service transformation and help shape the future of hospital social work.
Why Join Our Team?
This is an exciting time to join a service that is:
Innovative and forward-thinking.
Supportive and collaborative.
Committed to continuous improvement.
Focused on achieving the best outcomes for people and their families.
If you are looking for a role where you can make a genuine difference, be part of a supportive team, and help drive positive change, we would love to hear from you.
Joss Harbron, our Assistant Director for Adult Social Care says “Darlington has an established and successful track record in adult social care, where high challenge comes with high support. There is strong engagement with citizens and strong partnerships and collaboration across the directorates. I believe we deliver strong visible leadership, with clear governance, accountability and in a culture which welcomes active contributions from the teams whilst delivering high performing services.“
In May 2025 Adult Social Care in Darlington was CQC rated Good achieving an overall score of 73%
This is what CQC said about us –
“There are open and transparent relationships with senior leaders and staff felt they had the ability to challenge and influence policies and practice. Leaders had an impact on staff retention, and we heard reports of a positive workplace culture.
There were good preventative measures in place with a Responsive Integrated Assessment Care team (RIACT), which provided a thorough assessment with very positive results. There were no delays to hospital discharge and the data around reablement and outcomes following discharge were better than the national average.
We found staff were creative and supported people to remain independent in a person-centred and strength-based way.
There was a clear focus in the local authority on providing short-term support to prevent longer-term care. Leaders and partners agreed there was a strong relationship around hospital discharge and the local authority’s work in reablement and short-term interventions was well regarded and effective. They had a consistently low number of discharge delays with high performance in reablement delivery and outcomes. There was a clear process map for reablement for staff handling referrals.
Staff said the local authority was a good place to work, highlighting positive relationships and career progression, including apprenticeships and the step-up to social work program. Staff who had worked elsewhere said they appreciated the good workplace support and feeling looked after, heard, and listened to. Supervision was always available, and there was a focus on wellbeing”.
If you are an enthusiastic and dynamic professional, who brings passion and commitment to achieving the best for the most vulnerable people and have experience in working within health and social care we would like to hear from you.
We have a strong commitment to professional development throughout all our Adult Service areas, with a training programme that is workforce-led and has strong links to supervision, appraisal and audit.
The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:
- 32 days Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
- Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
- Flexi-time scheme
- Flexible working
- Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
- Staff equality forums
- Green Car Leasing Scheme (if applicable)
- Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
- Physiotherapy service
- Confidential counselling service
- Great wellbeing offer
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
- Local and National retailer discounts
- Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
- Arriva Employee Travel Club
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/why-work-for-us/
Find out further information about us and what it’s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and Person Specification.
Provisional Interview dates for this post will be 7th July 2026.
The posts will require an Enhanced DBS check with Adults barred list.
General Information for Applicants:
For a further informal discussion and any queries around the role profile and jobs itself please contact Sarah Appleby, Team Manager for RIACT via email on [email protected]. Alternatively, you can contact Shauna Ferguson via email [email protected]
If you have any further questions regarding applying for this role or the questions , please contact the HR Support team on 01325 403217 or [email protected].
https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/contactus
All applicant email correspondence will come from [email protected] and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.
You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.
We are an equal opportunities' employer. We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We aim to interview any applicant who declares a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job.
