Location: Craven House, Barrow
Contract Type: Permanent
About this opportunity
We have an exciting opportunity to join our dedicated and supportive Hospital Social Work team.
Would you like to work in an environment where you can make a real impact in people's lives on a day-to-day basis? Working within our social work teams, you will be joining a passionate, driven team, dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for the people we support.
We apply a career grade system to our Social Worker, meaning your starting salary will depend on your competencies, experience, and qualifications. We then support staff to progress through the career grade in line with their development against the requirements at each step of the grade
In order to maintain the right balance of skills and experience across our team, we are ideally looking for a candidate with demonstrable experience of post qualifying practice in (Mental Health/Learning Disabilities/Community Social Work/Occupational Therapy). However, we are still keen to hear from candidates who are more recently qualified, particularly if you have gained experience and transferable skills working with people who use our services in other contexts.
Who we are looking for…
A passionate and dedicated Social Worker, with a strong foundation in professional practice backed by a Social Work Degree and registration with Social Work England. You will have experience in independent assessment and support planning, alongside a good working knowledge of current legislation, theoretical models and best practice approaches. The ideal candidate will be confident in balancing risk, making sound decisions in unpredictable situations, and contributing to team planning and resource allocation. Strong communication, people management, and collaboration skills are key in this role, as is the ability to create innovative, person-centred interventions that empower individuals.
There will be a requirement to work collaboratively within the Transfer of Care Hub for Multi-disciplinary discussions, and for Social Work intervention during hospital admission in order to facilitate and support strength-based Hospital discharge plans.
The primary role of the Hospital Team is to complete assessments and form support plans following discharge from hospital during a period of assessment. There is opportunity within one of the two positions available to be based at Craven House/South Lakeland House but work from either Furness General Hospital or Royal Lancaster Infirmary. The post holder will be required to participate and consult in decisions on Discharge to Assess Pathways to agree person centred discharge plans, allowing for assessments to happen in the community and reducing delayed transfers of care. There will be a requirement to provide a duty function within the Hospital Team to ensure continuity and quality transfer of care prior to assessment being undertaken.
Our Adult Social Care vision is “People living in a place they call home with the people and things that they love, in communities where they look out for one another, doing the things that matter to them.”
We are looking for the right people, with the right values to join our teams across Adult Social Care. We’d like to hear more about you, your motivations, interests and values on your application, including what attracted you to this role and how you feel your values relate to the role of Social Worker.
What our team says-
“I have been working in the Hospital team for almost a year. The team has been welcoming, friendly, and exceptionally supportive throughout. I have a great manager who allows my autonomy while also being available to support when needed and generous with their praise.
My Team has a wealth of knowledge to draw upon when needed, and this has allowed for my confidence to develop. The role is varied and challenging, you are constantly learning, and this provides ample opportunities for growth and fulfilment.
The role is varied, rewarding, fast paced, and every day is unique. You will be working closely with other professionals within health, charitable, and social care sectors, allowing for greater multi-agency working and decision-making. The role is to provide vital support and advocacy for people at their most vulnerable, supporting them through challenging times while navigating through the complex discharge processes.”– Leanne Fox (Newly Qualified Social Worker)
What can we offer you!
Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site. Our benefits | Careers (westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk)
Would you like to find out more?
For further information about this role, such as responsibilities and essential criteria please view the below attachments:
- Post Specification - Grade 11
- Role Profile
- Post Specification - Grade 13
- Role Profile
If you have any queries about this role or would like an informal chat about this opportunity, then please contact Ariana Apgar 07825340168 or [email protected]
Application and Interview information
Closing date: 12/08/2026
Interview date: tbc
We are currently operating both in-person and virtual interviews. Interview details such as venue/timings will be shared with successful candidates, following the shortlisting process. If you have any concerns or adjustments are needed, we are happy to discuss this with you.
If you experience any technical difficulties applying for this role, please contact the HR Systems Team at [email protected].
Safer Recruitment & DBS
At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and we expect all workers, employees and volunteers to share our commitment.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and requires an enhanced DBS check with an Adults Barred List check.
Please note this role involves working in regulated activity with adults. It is an offence for people who are barred from working in regulated activity to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with adults.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates our differences.
As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.
We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans and those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old (someone who has been looked after by a local authority at any point, for any length of time, e.g. foster care, residential care, or under the guardianship of a local authority) that meet the essential criteria for the role.
