Social Worker

Job responsibilities

To undertake for children and young adults person-centred social work/community care assessment with customers and to plan for the provision of support and/ or services with customers in order to assist them meet their outcomes and to live as independently as possible fulfilling their individual potential. To ensure accurate and timely recording of all information/assessment activity onto the Social Care records database in accordance with work targets set by the Team Manager and Assistant team manager

To be Primary worker with case responsibility for Children in Need, Children Looked After and when appropriate Children in need of Protection - depending upon the function of the dedicated team

To operate within the County policy and keep up to date with social work methods, practice developments, new legislation and procedures, including the Childrens Act 2004, Children & Families Act 2014, Every Child Matters and Care Matters agenda, The Care act 2014, NHS and social care legislation.

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 adults

To be allocated work from the Team Manager or any person delegated to act on their behalf based on eligibility criteria and to hold case management responsibility for this work.

To have a well developed understanding of assessment and the management of risks for adults and to be able to apply Council policy and support customers to manage risk appropriately. To identify where vulnerable adults may be at risk and to act in accordance with the Departments Safeguarding policies and procedures.

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, Single Assessments, Vulnerable Adults safeguarding 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. team around the child meetings 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

Participate in the teams social work duty rota

To fully engage and prepare for own supervision and appraisal through self-evaluation, ensuring that continual professional development is evidenced.

Ability to travel on a daily basis and to undertake visits to families in their own homes or in other settings

Qualifications

Essential

• Have up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with, and
• the protection of, children and young people.
• Thorough understanding of the needs of children in care.
• 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.
• Knowledge of Every Child Matters, the five outcomes and shared processes.
• OR
• Have up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with, and
• the safeguarding of, vulnerable adults.
• Knowledge and understanding of Health & Social Care legislation and wider policy context for
• vulnerable adults
• AND
• Knowledge and 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.
• Knowledge of Outcome focused interventions
• Professional Social Work qualification.
• Social Work England registered
• Experience of direct work with children, young people and families ; Or
• Experience of direct work with vulnerable adults
• Experience of completing assessments, reports and plans for children identified as vulnerable
• and in need ; Or
• Experience of completing assessments, reports and plans for adults identified as vulnerable and
• in need.
• Knowledge and evidence of assessment skills, including engaging with users of services, other
• professionals and agencies to achieve a holistic assessment.
• 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.
• Ability to contribute positively to the social work team and department.
• Takes responsibility for own professional development and commitment to evidenced based
• practice.
• Good IT skills
• Ability to manage competing demands of a caseload
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written with colleagues, outside agencies and
• service users.
• Ability to identify problems with some complexity and to demonstrate creative approach to such
• problems.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective professional relationships within and outside the
• department.
• Fluent in English Language

Desirable

• Understanding of Person Centred Planning.
• Experience of foster care and family placement work.
• experience of developing supported living options for vulnerable adults
• Experience of working with children in care, their families and foster carers.
• Developing ordinary life, supported living options for young adults

Experience

Essential

• Some relevant professional experience post qualification in a similar work environment.
• Expert knowledge of relevant policy, systems, work practices, professional guidelines, legislation in
• the area of specialism.
• Excellent ICT skills including use of Microsoft applications and specialist systems.
• Authoritative knowledge of the relevant range of procedural and legislative frameworks, systems
• and initiatives.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary and partnership working and awareness of the issues involved.
• Planning and workload management skills.
• Proven assessment and investigation skills appropriate to the scope of the role. Ability to carry out
• complex client assessments.
• Experience of using professional knowledge to work within referral systems according to
• established criteria.
• Proven ability to work with challenging client groups and situations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proven ability to deliver training.
• Accurate record keeping and report writing.
• Good presentational skills.
• Knowledge of financial assessment processes.

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).