Work for East Sussex County Council

Introduction to Adult Social Care, East Sussex County Council

We’re one of the departments that makes up the county council in East Sussex, employing over 1500 people in a range of roles to deliver essential services to our residents all year round. Our role is to enable our residents to live as healthy and independent a life as they can, for as long as possible.

When we work with an adult in our community, we look at their strengths as well as the difficulties they’re experiencing. We work with them to find solutions.

Adult social care delivers vital services to our adult residents in East Sussex, every day.

Why we’re working with Rest Less

We’re working with Rest Less because we value a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of our residents. We recognise that rich life experiences and a range of skills make a valuable workforce. In fact, almost half of our adult social care workforce at East Sussex County Council is aged 50 and above.

We invest in our staff, in their development and in their wellbeing. In summer 2023 we invited our over 55s staff members to a series of workshops so we could acknowledge their contribution and discuss the joys and challenges related to this age and stage of life.

We have developed a wellbeing offer for all staff, including webinars to mark Men’s Health Week and menopause training for managers. Our staff tell us that as well as feeling secure in a job in adult social care, and the contributions into a government-backed pension fund, they value being able to make a difference to our community.

Why work with Adult Social Care, East Sussex

A career in adult social care is varied, challenging, and immensely rewarding. One of the most important things about working here is the knowledge that you’re working to help others, making a positive difference to the lives of our residents in East Sussex. We’re also a really friendly and supportive organisation.

There’s more to a career in adult social care than you might think. We have roles that involve working directly with adults who have support needs, as well as behind-the-scenes managerial, administrative or project-based roles.

In return for working with us, we will support your development with learning and development opportunities and access to coaching. Our employee benefits package includes discounts on travel, entertainment, shopping and groceries, as well as an annual leave entitlement of between 25 to 31 days, depending on length of service.

Hear what our employees have to say about being part of adult social care:

Find your perfect opportunity at Adult Social Care, East Sussex

Real life stories from our adult social care staff

Amelia, Training Manager shares her story and why she chooses to work for East Sussex.

Gary, Day Service Support Worker shares his story and why he chooses to work for East Sussex.

Example roles at Adult Social Care, East Sussex

We employ more than 1,500 people across adult social care in a variety of roles, including:

Administrators
Social workers
Support workers
Drivers and handyperson
Strategy development
Managers

Spotlight on support worker roles

We have different types of support worker roles in adult social care:

As a community rehabilitation support worker you work with older people, helping to get them back on their feet. You will visit clients in their homes, helping them to regain their independence and improve their quality of life. Working alongside our therapy team, you will be implementing care, rehabilitation and exercise programmes. You will also support the client with personal care activities, such as washing/dressing and meal preparation.

.Being a part of a supportive team is at the heart of our community rehabilitation teams. We work in three teams across East Sussex:

Crowborough, Lewes and Peacehaven
Eastbourne, Hailsham, Polegate and Seaford
Bexhill, Hastings and rural Rother.

If you are patient, kind, and caring and enjoy working directly with people, this can be a very fulfilling role. You don’t need any experience – we will train you.

Beryl's story

Beryl was referred to the Joint Community Rehabilitation Service after a prolonged stay in hospital following an infection. Here’s what she had to say about the service: “At first I was unsure what to expect. I hadn’t had help before and didn’t really know how it would work but the support workers have been fantastic from the start – they were always smiley and brightened my day when I needed it most. They gave me time to do things my way and the service made settling back home so much easier and gave me confidence. They encouraged me to get back to doing things myself. I’ve been so impressed. I will miss them calling in.”

Rehabilitation support workers

Our rehabilitation support workers also aim to assist people who have had a spell of illness, generally including a hospital stay, back to independence. Rather than working in the community, rehab support workers are based in our care unit in Eastbourne.

Working alongside other professionals, rehabilitation support workers provide some personal and intimate care, as well as give emotional and physical support to help clients regain the skills and confidence they need to manage these everyday tasks themselves. This is to enable people to return home and maximise their independence.

The support that clients receive during their stay in the rehabilitation unit can make a real difference, giving them a renewed sense of purpose and opening up new possibilities. Our support workers play a key role in bringing about this positive change for our clients.

Support worker in learning disabilities service

As a support worker in our learning disabilities service, you will provide practical and compassionate support in all areas of daily living to adults with a learning disability,. Some roles are based in a respite unit where people come to stay for short breaks, and other roles are based in day centres or out in the community, helping adults with learning disabilities to live as independently as possible.

Experience in care is not necessary – you just need to have the right values and a passion for supporting people to achieve greater independence. A full training program is available to support you in your role. We offer full and part time positions in a range of locations across East Sussex.

Find out how you can get a role in Adult Social Care

We’ll support you to apply for a job with us. If you’ve seen a job vacancy with us that you’d like to apply for, we can provide support through the application and interview process. Find out more by watching this video.

Benefits

Pension scheme: Most of our employees choose to be members of the Local Government Pension Scheme which offers an excellent range of benefits, including a career average pension when you retire. It’s one of the largest pension schemes in the UK and is government-backed and adjusted in line with the cost of living
Annual leave: Minimum of 25 paid days per year, increasing with length of service and grade, plus public holidays
Employees can get discounts with high street retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Argos and Boots as well as cinemas, local attractions and holiday companies via our external benefits provider.
Wellbeing support
- Employees can access free and confidential counselling as well as legal and financial advice to help them in times of need.
- Menopause support for staff.
- Access to support for physical conditions via physiotherapy and occupational health
Carers’ leave
A range of flexible working opportunities in some teams
Learning and development: We support staff to access our learning and development opportunities. This includes paid apprenticeships leading to professional qualifications. Employees can access our pool of workplace coaches.

Our values

Working together
Delivering great service
Finding the best solutions
Innovating
Trust in our staff

Diversity statement

East Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitable candidates, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. All applications are treated on merit.

For work that makes a difference,