Southwark Adult Social Care
“Empowering and enabling people to live
fulfilled and independent lives with dignity and respect”
Our Vision
"Members of our community can access high quality information, advice and coordinated community services that prevent, reduce and delay their needs for social care support. Adults with eligible needs and their carers have access to services which maximise independence and choice, enable them to live healthy, safe and fulfilling lives in their community"
Like many Adult Social Care departments, since the Care Act, we have been aiming to provide our local communities with a quality service that meets their needs, is personalised and offers good value for monies to the public purse.
We've meet these challenges by building strong relationships with colleagues in council, Health, the Voluntary sector and others. This has enabled our quality social work to flourish and as importantly, be valued.
We continually develop our training offer, as this is an investment in our workforce, a way to guarantee our future success. Our staff feel equipped to face the challenges that exist and feel valued along the journey.
Our vision and priorities are driven by the values and beliefs that underpin our work – empowering and enabling people to live fulfilled and independent lives with dignity and respect.
Pauline O'Hare
Director Adult Social Care
Together we can deliver quality of life in Southwark
Adult Social Care's key priorities
Our Future
There are exciting times ahead!
Adult Social Care will be launching the Disability Hub and an Older Person's Hub in 2019/20 offering advice and information for people to help them stay independent.
Our Wellbeing Hub is already up and running in the community. It takes all mental health referrals and assesses and triages these - as well as offering advice and support and referrals to Adult Social Care.
Mental Health Service is relocating to a new building in summer 2019, designed to support flexible and collaborative working practices.
In 2018 we welcomed the Disability Teams from Children's into Adult Social Care to form our All Age Disability Service (0 to 25yrs).
We are currently designing a whole new pathway and services reviewed so we can deliver better joined-up services to young adults who are transitioning to adult services.
We are committed to smart ways of working and utilising technology to support service users.
Our focus for the future is to;
Southwark is a great place to develop your career
Click the images below to hear from our staff
Tara
Team Manager
David and Keith
Social Worker and Assistant Practitioner
Helena
Social Worker (All Age Disability)
Our Adult Social Care Teams
All teams in Adult Social Care use a community asset based approach to focus on people's strengths to empower and enable them to live fulfilled and independent lives in the community with dignity and respect.
Our teams benefit from:
The services will be moving to a new building in the summer of 2019; offering a fresh environment for staff and service users with updated technology and an innovative design.
Reablement Service
provides reablement services as part of a care plan for people with eligible care and support needs.
These are developed to:
* Minimise on going support required
* Maximise service users long term independence, choice and quality of life
* Deliver services that deliver quality outcomes while also providing good value for money
All referrals for the Reablement Team come via The Wellbeing Hub which is our third sector partner that receives and triages all initial referrals to the Mental Health service offering reablement support, advice and information.Approved Mental Health Professionals Service (AMHP)
complete assessments when people’s mental health deteriorates and it is necessary to consider detaining them in hospital.
The service is staffed by social workers within the mental health service who are additionally qualified as AMHPs on a rota basis.
We are currently promoting the opportunity for this training across Adult Social Care services.Substance Misuse Rehabilitation Service
supports people committed to abstinence. They assess service user’s needs and refer them to a range of abstinence based recovery programmes.
During this time they will also work with the service user to develop a personalised support plan to improve wellbeing and to help maintain abstinence when in the community.Move on Support Team (MOST)
People’s needs change over time, and the MOST will review plans and support packages to ensure service users are receiving the appropriate support and are in the best placements for their needs.Care and Support Team (CAST)
support people with ongoing care and support eligible needs.
The service provides support for older people and those with disabilities with care Act eligible need.
Their aim is to support people to live independently and maintain good quality of life. There are a number of teams within this service providing the necessary assessment and support.
- Intermediate Care Southwark
The service is made up of two teams:
* Urgent Response
* Rehabilitation and Reablement
The teams work to avoid hospital admission and support hospital discharges by working together to maximise a person's independence.
If, after the teams input, the person has ongoing care and support needs the Social Workers complete a Care Act assessment to determine eligibility for ongoing services. - Community Support Service
includes assessment and intake, case management and review teams.
The teams provide complex support management, support planning and reviews to ensure service users receive holistic support plans that maximise independence and access to a range of preventative and personalised services that increase their confidence, assertiveness and awareness. - Older Peoples and Physical Disabilities Hospital Discharge Team
complete Care Act assessments for Southwark residents to enable them to safely transfer out of hospital in a timely manner.
The team are vital in facilitating the discharge and ensuring all is safe for the person to return home or to a place that meets the person's needs. The team work closely with colleagues in the Acute Trusts and Community to ensure a safe transfer of care. - Contact Team
provides a service user-facing first point of contact for concerns, queries and enquiries relating to Older People and Physical Disabilities.
The team delivers advice, information, contact screening, equipment and service provisions, urgent response and adult safeguarding functions. - Reablement Service
is a multi-disciplinary team working with people to maximise their independence and provides an assessment of needs and independence building support.
The Learning Disabilites service works with people with Learning Disabilities who are eligible for Social Care Services.
The service consists of an All Age Disability Service (0 to 25 yrs) and a LD 25yrs+ service. The focus is on providing holistic support plans that maximise independence for the client.
- All Age Disability Service
our new All Age Disability Service (launched 2019)provides a comprehensive social care pathway for children and young people with disabilities from childhood into adolescence and into adulthood.The service provides advice on disability and services in the borough for children and young people aged 0-25. They also provide support in the form of a ‘care package’ of services for a child or young person, if eligible. The services provided may include activities, short breaks, respite, care arrangements, or a personal budget.
There are 4 social work teams within the All Age Disability Service. Each has a number of social workers and an Assistant Practitioner. The Service also benefits from designated business support. Social workers have manageable caseloads and are expected to undertake assessments, support planning, reviews and safeguarding.
The Service is committed to delivering on the Council’s Strategic Priorities to improve life chances, providing a better place for people and in delivering quality services. We value diversity within our team and within our client group and aim to provide an accessible, integrated and efficient service that addressed the Council’s key corporate goals of offering value for money and an accessible needs-led and accountable service.
- The Learning Disabilities 25+ Service
The Learning Disability Service is part of an integrated social care pathway with our All Age Disability Service, ensuring a seamless journey for young people disabled people into adulthood.
The Service supported people aged 25+ with Learning Disabilities and eligible care needs. This support includes providing advice and providing support in the form of a‘care package’ of services. The services provided may include activities, short breaks, respite, care arrangements, or a personal budget.
The Service has two social work teams, each benefiting from supportive management, Assistant Practitioners and designated business support. Social workers have manageable caseloads and are expected to undertake assessments, support planning, reviews and safeguarding.
- Orient Street
Orient Street is part of the Council’s short breaks offer. It is our in-house Short Breaks Unit for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism (and associated disabilities).
The Unit has 5 beds for adults (Registered with the Care Quality Commission) and 5 beds for children (registered with Ofsted). It operates a 7-day overnight service, providing a safe, caring and stimulating environment for service users.
Our aim is to provide a home away from home for service users with the opportunities to engage in household and community life, to take part in activities and develop new interests and to promote their independence.
With recent investment, the unit has excellent facilities, including a sensory room and an expanding staffing group to provide a valuable service for our service users.
The staffing group consists of Team Leads, Residential Care Officers, designated business support and management. The team have the opportunity to work with children and adults and undertake key working with service users and targeted outreach.
What is a short break?
Short breaks provide opportunities for disabled children, young people and adults to spend time away from their primary carers.
These include day, evening, overnight or weekend activities and take place in the child’s home, the home of an approved carer, or a residential or community centre.
Short breaks for service users require an assessment of the whole family/carer and addresses both personal and social needs. They occur on a regular/planned basis and are part of the care and support package provided for eligible people. - Family Link
The Family Link team consists of social workers who assess the families and carers and provide the links, support the carers with advice, ongoing training and equipment, and provided a financial allowance.
Below are some testimonials from our staff and service users:
*The Family Link experience has been extremely rewarding. It was wonderful when I first heard Ali use my name” – Chris (Family Link Carer)
– Fatima (Family Link Carer)
*Spending time with Jenny has been a very rewarding experience for the whole family. Even my youngest daughter enjoys making her laugh” –Ola (Family Link Carer)*I always enjoy my time with Sharon and live it when she takes me to the big television [cinema]” – Mohammed (Child receiving Family Link care)
Those interested in becoming a carer can contact the team on 020 7525 5316 or familylink@southwark.gov.uk
2017 Staff Survey Summary
Southwark carries out a staff survey every 2 years to measure staff sentiments, identify ways to continue to make a better workplace, give another platform for staff to voice their option and communicate with management.
Key findings included:
* Majority of staff are proud to work for Southwark council
* Staff engagement levels exceeded those of other public sector and Local Authority organisations
* Staff continue to feel valued, listened to and consulted on change
* A positive perception of line management
About You - Who we are looking for
Are you a person who is...
Our current opportunities, please click on the job title for more information
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- Reference Number SC05193
- Closing date 31/03/2025
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £47,043 - £54,135
- Contract Type Permanent
We have vacancies across the older persons & physical disability service and require experienced social workers who have leadership and...
Read more -
- Reference Number SC05187
- Closing date 16/10/2025
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £42,855 - £50,088
- Contract Type Permanent
The Social Worker role We are looking for experienced Social Workers who have a passion to promote the independence, choice...
Read more -
- Reference Number SC07083
- Closing date 01/12/2024
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £52,674 - £59,772
- Contract Type Permanent
Do you have experience managing an Adult Social Care team? Would you like to apply your unique skill set to...
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- Reference Number SC05102
- Closing date 01/05/2025
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £44,430 - £51,663
- Contract Type Permanent
Southwark is a large, ambitious and progressive council with a ‘can do’ attitude and enviable reputation. As a Council, we...
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- Reference Number SC07049
- Closing date 01/12/2024
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £44,430 - £51,663
- Contract Type Permanent
About Southwark: We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of...
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- Reference Number SC07067
- Closing date 01/12/2024
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £31,884 - £36,888
- Contract Type Permanent
About Southwark: We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of...
Read more -
- Reference Number SC07038
- Closing date 01/12/2024
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £41,580 - £47,628
- Contract Type Permanent
Are you passionate about making a meaningful impact in the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families? If you...
Read more -
- Reference Number SC07060
- Closing date 15/12/2024
- LocationUnited Kingdom, London
- Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £44,430 - £51,663
- Contract Type Permanent
About Southwark: We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of...
Read more