Palliative Care Social Worker - Band 7

Job responsibilities

Management and Leadership

Be a practice lead Educator and Supervisor for Social Work Students on Placement at Birmingham Hospice

Overall responsibility for the supervision of Social Work students on placement

Contribute to the Development of Team Learning and the implementation of new systems for measuring quality and Audit.

Work collaboratively, contribute to the development of other services provided by the Hospice.

Ensure the Services provided are profound, recognising different cultural approaches towards life, death and bereavement needs.

Review Audit and Evaluate Operational standards for the Palliative Care Social Worker Team.

Participate in the Hospice appraisal system setting realistic objectives to maintain a personal professional profile and demonstrate a high level of specialist practice.

Patient and Family

Proactively lead triaging and responding to appropriate incoming referrals from the In-patient Unit, Day Hospice, and the Birmingham Hospice Clinical Nurse Specialists and other agencies.

Support patients and their families to deal with the impact of whats happening to them, loss and bereavement and to have a good life and a good death.

To assess and review the psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual needs of our patients, their carers and relatives which will contribute towards a holistic assessment within the multi-professional team with a recognition of the diversity, values and human rights that may influence the decisions of people who use the service.

To work in partnership with patients and carers requiring specialist palliative or end of life care to identify and respond to changing psychosocial needs. Provide practical and emotional support.

To undertake direct work with patients and their families using one to one, group and family techniques and involving other members of the multi-professional team as appropriate.

Facilitate discussions that resolve chaos and conflict and negotiate solutions to disputes about how people will live.

To implement appropriate strategies to enable the patient, family and carer/s to adjust to new and changing situations. Consider and co-develop alternative ways of meeting peoples needs who choose not to take up existing services.

To provide written assessment reports and negotiate health and social care packages, including nursing home placements.

To provide information and advocacy services regarding welfare benefits.

To assess the bereavement needs of family members and others close to the patient.

To use effective interpersonal skills to communicate sensitive information where agreement and cooperation is required and where there may be barriers to understanding such as vulnerable and at-risk patients.

To advocate for and ensure that the holistic needs of patients and families are identified and met.

To work independently in community settings, and assess, manage, and document clinical risk.

Design and undertake holistic assessment of patients and families to ensure that needs are met and support complex discharge.

Make enquiries and arrange safeguards with people if they are at risk of abuse of neglect.

Multidisciplinary Team

To Support the Clinical Lead in Safeguarding to provide consultations to other disciplines on psychosocial aspects of care, particularly issues related to Mental Capacity and Safeguarding.

To work closely with the multidisciplinary team to plan patient and family care and provide psychosocial intervention.

To maintain knowledge of local community services and to liaise with community agencies on behalf of patients and their families / carers.

To participate in, and where appropriate lead, multi-disciplinary team meetings, discharge planning meetings and case review meetings.

To have open and honest conversations with the wider team as well as with patients and families to ensure a person-centred approach.

To be a resource for wider team, patients and families regarding wider social care policy and expertise.

To implement effective communication and referral processes and enable effective multi-professional and multi-agency working to support the smooth transition of patients between services.

To facilitate discussion between healthcare professionals and patients and families around discharge planning and ongoing support.

Actively participate in reflective practice and debrief sessions with team members leading sessions as required.

To actively contribute to the Patient Services clinical governance framework through participation in education, development, research, and audit initiatives.

Operational

To ensure patient and service records are recorded and maintained in accordance with the Birmingham Hospice Operational and Practice Guidelines.

To develop and embed social work as an integral part of the in-patient and community teams to provide expert psychological support to patients and their families.

To build relationships with wider social care, health, and voluntary organisations to ensure patients and familys needs are met.

To develop and strengthen relations with Local Authority Teams and other organisations through attendance at meetings, training events and joint working, seeking always to promote the interests and rights of patients, families, and carers.

Identify opportunities for teaching and training opportunities at Birmingham Hospice.

To work with the Clinical Lead in the training and support to others which will include psychosocial aspects of care and support, MCA, DoLS and Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), Safeguarding and Best Interest decisions.

Adhere to Birmingham Hospice policies and social work professional standards.

Service Improvement

To contribute to and participate in development of new initiatives in Palliative Care Social Work in line with team specific and organisational priorities.

To be willing to develop and trial new ways of working to ensure best outcomes for patients and families. Planning and evaluation on practice.

Identify opportunities for audit and research, innovation and quality improvement and take an active role in working with others to deliver improvement programmes and be committed to improving services.

Professional

To reflect on practice and performance formally and informally with the Palliative Care Social Worker Team.

To know own limitations and where to access support and guidance.

Continue to develop the emotional intelligence essential to undertake the role.

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work and to engage in professional self-development.

To adhere to the Social Work England Code of Conduct and comply with local and national standards of practice.

To effectively utilise clinical supervision.

To develop personal and professional skills and knowledge relevant to palliative care social work. This should include yearly attendance at the Association of Palliative Care Social Work conference and / or regional appropriate meetings.

To update and develop knowledge of statutory and legislative changes which impact on the lives of patients, their carer(s) and family.

To act as the Safeguarding Adviser supporting the Clinical Lead at the Birmingham Hospice for safeguarding both adult and childrens issues and alerts.

To supervise junior social workers and social work students within the team as required and to ensure that informal supervision is available for wider team members of hospice staff and volunteers is available.

To always act as a role model and ambassador for the Birmingham Hospice.

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised Social Work Qualification.
• Registration with Social Work England.
• Knowledge of relevant voluntary and statutory agencies and their perspectives relating to palliative care.
• Robust knowledge of current legislation relevant to role including NHS & CCA- MCA / DOLS/ Carers legislation, Care Act 2014, etc
• Full driving licence and access to own vehicle.
• Substantial post qualifying experience of direct work with individuals and families.
• Leadership experience.
• Relevant post-qualifying training or experience (for example: palliative care, family work, counselling, PQ, professional supervision).

Experience

Essential

• Understanding and experience of multi-disciplinary team working.
• Experience in working within the Mental Capacity Act, Care Act 2014, and other relevant legislative frameworks.
• Experience and confidence gained in Safeguarding work.
• Experience and confidence in supervising social workers, and other professional staff.
• Experience in, and willingness to, supervise social work student placements.
• Experience gained in working with adults.
• Experience of working with children and families.
• Enhanced communication and interpersonal skills and to be able to use these effectively in a variety of settings, with individuals and groups, children, and adults.
• Well developed, needs led assessment, planning, and negotiating skills, to ensure high quality assessment and timely outcomes for people.
• Ability to work effectively in an emotionally stressful environment.
• Ability to be creative and supportive in the role of Social Worker, and appropriately apply a range of social work methods and interventions.
• Able to plan and manage own workload and activities.
• Specialist social work input to and chairing of case conferences.
• Specialist social work advice and support to the multi professional team.
• Able to travel between Hospice and peoples homes, in the West Midlands Area.
• Supporting events for bereaved families.
• Delivery of education and training events.
• Intermediate IT skills.

Desirable

• Practice Teacher/ Educator qualification.
• Experience in working across a range of client groups and settings, e.g. learning Disability/ Mental Health/ Hospice/ Hospital.
• Working with people who are bereaved or coping with loss.
• Skills in counselling, therapeutic work, and group work.

Personal Skills and Attributes

Essential

• Commitment to and ability to always demonstrate the Birmingham Hospice values and behaviours.
• Able to always maintain the highest professional standards, and act as a true ambassador for the Hospice.
• To be authentic, open honest and transparent
• Have a track record of working inclusively and a genuine appreciation of the value of diversity

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).