Assessing Officer - Adult Social Care

Overview

Enjoy a varied role that may involve working across teams, locations, and occasionally outside standard hours.

- Hybrid working, 40% of your time based from Civic Centre, Gateshead.

Be part of a community that helps adults thrive.

Who we are & what we stand for

Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might be the perfect match. We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time. We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.

At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi-time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.

Empower people. Shape futures. Make a real difference.

Adult Social Care at Gateshead Council supports adults with care and support needs to live safe, independent and thriving lives. The service provides statutory assessments, safeguarding, prevention, and a wide range of community-based support in line with the Care Act 2014. Working in a strengths-based way, Adult Social Care focuses on wellbeing, independence and personalised outcomes, helping people to access the right support at the right time, whether through assessment and planning, enablement services, technology-enabled care, or wider community resources.

Where meaningful work meets real human connection.

Are you passionate about empowering adults to live with choice, independence and dignity? We’re looking for a committed and compassionate professional to join our team and help deliver strengths‑based assessments and support in line with Gateshead’s Thrive agenda. As part of the ASSET Team, you will be working within a remit of providing an early signal driven intervention for residents experiencing chaotic lifestyles, multiple exclusions, and negative social outcomes.

The focus of the team is to identify those at risk of entering Care Act arrangements at an earlier stage, whilst strengthening links with other agencies across Gateshead both statutory and non-statutory, as well as providing advice, information, and a higher level of signposting. The ethos of the team is to provide an enabling, collaborative approach in which the person identified as needing support and those providing the support, work together to determine outcomes that draw on strengths and aspirations.

This is relationship based, solution focussed approach and co-ordinated with other parallel processes they may be involved in such as Safeguarding, ASB or other pathways.

• Carry out strengths‑based assessments with adults and carers to identify eligible needs under the Care Act 2014, across community, hospital, and residential settings.
• Complete additional assessments, such as mental capacity, best interests, and risk assessments, under the guidance of your Line Manager and in accordance with relevant legislation.
• Manage an active and varied caseload with regular supervision and support.
• Contribute to duty functions, including responding to urgent referrals when required.
• Work closely with partner agencies and professionals to deliver joined‑up support.
• Take part in mandatory and role‑specific training to develop your skills.

• Knowledge of key legislation, including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, with the ability to interpret and apply it in practice.
• Experience of working with adults (and carers) with multiple and complex needs, physical disabilities and/or mental health needs.
• Experience of undertaking assessments, applying relevant criteria and where necessary identifying appropriate services to meet eligible needs.
• Strong…