Social Worker

Job responsibilities

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

To be the primary worker with case responsibility for adolescent children in need and children in need of protection (predominantly aged 10-17 who are at risk of or experiencing criminal or sexual exploitation, offending, going missing or displaying significant vulnerabilities).

To operate within the council policy and keep up to date with social work methods, practice developments, new legislation and procedures, including the Childrens Act 2004.

To be responsible for the day to day interpretation of and implementation of statutory duties and departmental policy and procedures in the provision of services to children and young people.

To be allocated work from the team leader or any person delegated to act on their behalf based on eligibility criteria and to hold case management responsibility for this work and to work requiring little direction

To complete enquiries and assess, the needs of and risks to vulnerable children and young people in a timely manner giving due consideration to the wishes and views of the child and the childs family. This will include the completion of S47 enquiries, enquiries, joint investigation alongside Police colleagues, single assessments/ specialist CSE/CCE/ AIM assessments single assessments and engaging service users and other relevant persons in the work base, homes or any other appropriate venue e.g. hospital, school etc.

To take appropriate action to assess and minimise any identified concern or risk to children/young people in accordance with the requirements and timescales of assessment frameworks, child protection procedures and looked after children legislation and procedures.

To draw up and implement, with the child/young person and their family/carers, an appropriate plan to address identified issues and to maximise the participation of service users and carers in this process ensuring that social work intervention is ongoing only when necessary in peoples lives.

To carry out regular reviews of individual plans, record outcomes and formulate revised plans which are outcome focused.

To convene meetings e.g. core groups to assist in the implementation and review of plans for vulnerable children.

To write reports for child protection conferences, planning meetings, looked after children reviews, legal meetings and court hearings and attend these as appropriate.

To have a creative approach to meeting need and to ensure local provision, wherever possible, in order to meet identified need within available resources.

To have a clear understanding of and ability to manage within financial constraints in service delivery.

To work collaboratively and effectively with Young People Support Workers, Youth Justice Workers, YOT Officers, No Wrong Door practitioners and colleagues across Families and Childrens Services on achieving shared family goals.

To work proactively and in partnership with other agencies to plan and deliver coordinated services to children, young people and their families/carers which promotes and focuses on positive outcomes.

Actively engage and contribute, when necessary, to Local Allocation Group case discussions (or other similarly named mechanisms/panels)

To maintain accurate and effective electronic recording of information and action taken in the course of casework.

To understand the need for and contribute to the achievement of team and departmental performance targets in order to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people

To maintain confidentiality of information acquired in the course of undertaking duties for thedepartment whilst operating in the fullest cooperation with other agencies to ensure that children are appropriately safeguarded.

To contribute to team processes in a positive and appropriate manner, by attending team meetings and undertaking any necessary and appropriate team duties.

To support of qualified social workers and other Young People Service staff including contributing to, and at times facilitating group/peer supervision, co-working of cases, and providing advice and support on specific areas of practice.

To support and/or supervise the assessment of social workers in training during their placements, and undertake skills teaching as required

Participate in practice development and as a member of working parties across the Young Peoples Service and wider Family and Childrens Services.

To make an active contribution to the development of service delivery through the sharing of knowledge, information and skills.

To take responsibility for personal professional development through the utilisation of relevant practice research/developments, legislation, participative supervision and appraisal processes.

To undertake further training which is consistent with the needs of the individual and the organisation, as agreed with the manager.

To work within an equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory framework. Value diversity within the team and in contact with other professionals, children, young people and families.

Experience

Essential

• Professional social work qualification.
• Social Work England registered
• Evidence of professional and personal development following achievement of professional
• qualification
• A comprehensive and extensive up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in
• relation to working with, and the protection of, children and young people, particularly
• adolescents.
• Ability to engage with vulnerable young people aged 10-17
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the risks and indicators of exploitation (CSE and
• CCE), disruption techniques and how to work with young people who are involved/ at risk of
• entering the youth justice system, displaying significantly vulnerabilities, going missing or at risk
• of/ being exploited
• Extensive Knowledge and practice of child and adolescent development (specifically
• adolescence, including brain development and the impact of peer during adolescence).
• Extensive Understanding of the needs of vulnerable young people, those who have experienced
• trauma and children in care and the ability to put trauma informed work into practice using a case
• formulation approach
• Up to date knowledge of key child care legislation, policies and practices central to the
• implementation of a professional social work service on behalf of the council.
• Proven experience and the ability to put into practice a range of theories, models and
• interventions and to assess impact for the service user.
• Knowledge of assessment processes including the contribution provided by other agencies,
• timescales and their impact on council and Government performance targets and indicators.
• Significant experience of direct work with children, young people (aged 10-18) and families
• Experience of working with children in care, their families and foster carers.
• Experience of completing detailed and quality, joint investigations assessments, reports and
• plans for children identified as vulnerable and in need.
• Experience of mentoring colleagues
• Proven ability to professionally challenge i.e. strategy discussions, case conferences
• Sharing research within team
• Facilitating team training sessions as well as external training including universities and other
• forums
• Involvement on practice/service developments/quality assurance activity i.e. audits
• Raise professional issues within and external to the service in a positive and proactive manner.
• Identify as part of the leadership of the organisation in dealing with issues raised transparent,
• open and proactive.
• Ability to give objective timely advice.
• Proven knowledge and evidence of assessment skills, including engaging with users of services,
• other professionals and agencies to achieve a holistic assessment.
• Proven track record of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Proven organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise work, manage own time effectively
• and meet deadlines.
• Ability to keep accurate electronic records.
• Takes responsibility for own professional development and commitment to evidenced based
• practice.
• Good IT skills
• Ability to manage competing demands of workloads.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written with colleagues, outside agencies and
• service users.
• Proven track record in building and maintaining effective professional relationships within and
• outside the department.
• Fluent in English

Desirable

• Significant experience of working with young people who are involved/ at risk of entering the youth
• justice system, displaying significantly vulnerabilities, going missing or at risk of/ being exploited
• (sexually/criminally).
• Significant experience of undertaking AIM assessments and interventions with young people.
• Specialist knowledge of harmful sexualized behavior work and intervention and the ability to provide
• support to colleagues in this area of work
• A post qualifying award in Social Work.
• A Practice Teachers Award Training qualification
• Supervision skills
• A Practice lead

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or equivalent experience/skills.
• ITQ 2 or equivalent skill and ability demonstrating significant experience in IT systems.
• Professional qualification in area of specialism
• Licence / certificate / qualification required for the role.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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