Dementia Service Team Lead/ Senior Social Worker

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

To provide operational and professional leadership to the CARIAD Dementia Service at Hospice of the Valleys, ensuring the delivery of high quality practice.

To deliver interventions where high-level assessment, problem solving and decision-making skills will be required.

ROLE OF DEPARTMENT

The aim of the CARIAD service is to provide high quality palliative care for people with dementia and their families who are experiencing complex symptoms that are not being effectively managed by generalist practitioners. This work aims to enable them to remain in their identified preferred place of care, avoiding unnecessary admission to hospital.

The service provides high quality, comprehensive education, for health and social care professionals and carers of people with dementia, facilitating an improved understanding of the disease process of dementia, the value of early implementation of a palliative care approach and recognition of the importance of advanced care planning

Contribute to the campaign to raise public awareness of dementia on matters relating to death and dying, supporting families to have difficult and sensitive discussions and address the issue of advanced care planning

Support and facilitate choice and the fulfilment of the wishes of people with dementia.

SCOPE AND RANGE

Carry a complex caseload and in doing so undertake the generic responsibilities required of all Social Workers

To work in collaboration to deliver sustained improvements in performance, quality and consistency of practice across the team. Thereby achieving the best outcomes possible for adults living with dementia

To develop innovative ways of working to ensure positive outcomes for those receiving the service

To represent and promote the service in relevant multi agency meetings;

To ensure the transfer of knowledge and sharing of best practice across the Team and Services

To ensure effective partnership working and engagement to achieve and deliver these objectives

To formulate, design and deliver expert evidence-based interventions

To engage in the strategic development of the Team and Service

To provide professional leadership, guidance and mentorship to members of the Team

MAIN TASKS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

DIRECT WORK

To build a professional relationship with service users and their families and to use that relationship to safeguard and promote positive outcomes

To communicate effectively with service users and their families, ensuring that their views and wishes are heard and recorded accurately, and plans reflects their views

To establish rapport and build a respectful, honest and trusted relationship with service users and their families, in order to identify and reduce risk in line with safeguarding procedures

To understand and respect the rights of service users

To support the completion of good quality assessments and the analysis of risk through the use of best practice guidance

Facilitation of group work relevant to the service provision and identified need.

Undertake mental capacity assessments as part of the completion of lasting power of attorney documentation in collaboration with the person living with dementia, their appointed attorneys and other relevant professionals

LEADERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Act as a champion of best practice by playing a leadership role in social work practice within the organisation.

To provide professional supervision and appraisal to members of the team to achieve service aims and objectives.

To support team members in meeting continuous professional development and improvement requirements in line with Social Care Wales registration.

To assist the Head of clinical services in responding to concerns identified within supervision which may include performance, capability or wellbeing.

Act as a guardian of professional codes of practice within the organisation.

To support and implement changes in methods and approaches to work as may be required.

To assume responsibility or cover for other team members as required.

To provide written reports to head of clinical services for review by senior leadership team and board of trustees.

PRACTICE, EDUCATION & SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

To take personal responsibility for keeping up to date with legislation, research findings and practice knowledge, including attendance at appropriate training;

Contribute to training and practice development

Contribute to qualifying and post qualifying social work education curricula development and in the promotion of the Social Work Career Pathway

Provide training within the team and clinical services

Acting as a Practice Teacher/Assessor, PQ Award Mentor or other formal role to support the provision of learning opportunities

To comply with Gwent Safeguarding Boards Safeguarding procedures and practice

To ensure the maintenance of such records and management information systems as appropriate

Facilitate training and education to wider stakeholders, in line with funding acquired within the service

EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY

Post holder will be provided with a mobile telephone, laptop, and guardian 24 device for lone working.

SYSTEMS

The post holder will be responsible for working within the policies and procedures of the organisation and will be responsible for updating policies relevant to the service area.

The employee handbook will be provided which will outline all relevant policies and processes.

DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS

High-level assessment, problem solving and decision-making skills will be required.

Decision making undertaken with a person centred and evidence based approach utilising robust outcome measures.

PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS OF THE

Physical Effort

Time spent at desk, attending meetings, training and supervision. This will be shared with time spent visiting and undertaking assessments within the community in individuals homes.

There is a requirement that the post holder will drive.

Mental Effort

Be expected to deal with frequent interruptions due to the unpredictability of the work and service user group.

Be required to exert prolonged periods of concentration during assessments, report writing and documentation.

Problem solving for service users, their family members and carers who have complex needs.

Emotional Effort

Frequently work with service users and their carers who sometimes exhibit challenging and emotional behaviours and will potentially be exposed to distressing and emotional circumstances.

To support Hospice patients, families and carers in making decisions about their future needs as they adjust to a new and changing situation, and offer appropriate interventions. This includes work with Hospice patients, families and carers coming to terms with the illness and possible death of someone close.

MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB

Working within the charity sector having to liaise with statutory services to actuate change;

Being involved in the care and support of people with complex needs relating to their dementia diagnosis and managing the distress and upset this brings;

Working within a palliative and end of life care environment where death and dying is a regular feature of the role.

Working within a fast paced and ever changing clinical environment.

Managing safeguarding concerns.

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional Social Work qualification i.e. MA/Degree in Social Work or recognised predecessor equivalent e.g. CQSW, DipSW, CSS;
• Complete the relevant post qualifying awards within a defined period;

Desirable

• Palliative Care qualification
• Hold a professional development qualification e.g. Practice Teachers Award, PQ6, NVQ Assessor Award.
• Advanced Communication Award
• Counselling qualification

Experience

Essential

• Significant post qualifying experience.
• Experience of working with partner agencies, in multi-disciplinary settings.
• Experience of practice supervision e.g. mentorship of students
• Experience of delivering learning opportunities.
• Evidence of innovative practice.
• Effective assessment and intervention in relation to complex needs
• Experience of undertaking mental capacity assessments
• Senior Social Worker with supervision responsibilities

Desirable

• Working in a specialist palliative care setting
• Working with people with a life limiting illness
• Working with bereaved people
• Role in service and policy development
• Experience of the Lasting power of attorney process

Skills, knowledge, special aptitudes

Essential

• Knowledge of the Social Services & Well-being Act (Wales) 2014;
• Knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act.
• Knowledge of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010
• Knowledge and understanding of the united nations principles for older and disabled people.
• Understanding of dementia, and the impact on individuals, families, carers, and their social networks
• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Good communication skills, verbal and written
• Good time management & organisational skills and the ability to manage own workload
• Knowledge of principles of research and audit
• Ability to translate evidence into practice
• IT Proficiency

Desirable

• Knowledge of the welfare benefits system
• Presentation and publishing skills
• Experience of undertaking research/audit

Personal qualities and circumstances

Essential

• Ability to work with people affected by dementia, and the emotional impact it has.
• Self-awareness, and critical reflective ability
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Team player
• Flexible and adaptable to a variety of tasks

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

Essential

• Special Conditions and Professional Requirements
• -Requirement to travel independently throughout the Service Area.
• -Enhanced Disclosure and Barring checks on appointment and at periodic intervals.
• -To be personally responsible for the continued registration as a 'Social Worker' with Social
• Care Wales.

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).