Social Worker - Generic

Principal accountabilities

• To manage a caseload of service users requiring assessment of their needs, carry out assessments and investigations and co-ordinating care packages as necessary.
• Liaising and developing close working relationships with other professions and agencies to ensure service users receive services in accordance with assessed needs.
• To provide emotional and practical support, advice, advocacy and counseling to service users and carers as required.
• Participate in the duty rota system, as agreed.
• Maintaining accurate records of intervention in a timely manner.
• To maintain up to date knowledge of current research, corporate standards, policies and procedures and of current legislation and regulations.
• To participate in the on-going development and training of the team, and the service area.  Attending team meetings and sharing ideas and best practice.
• Preparing for and attending supervision meetings.
• To carry out any other appropriate duties that may be required which are commensurate with the grade of the post.
• To carry out other duties as determined by the specific area of work as listed by specialism below:

Community Care Services:

Older People’s Services

• Working in community-based, hospital-based or peripatetic teams across the county.
• To make recommendations for short-term care, intermittent care and permanent residential care where appropriate.
• In conjunction with other team members to obtain accurate multi-disciplinary assessment of need and to help design intensive care packages to maintain people in the community, and thereby reduce the need for inappropriate admissions into residential care.
• Completing assessments for Older People within the Community Care Act Legislative framework.

 

Mental Health

• Providing statutory services as required by the NHS, the Community Care Act and the Mental Health Act.
• Providing training and consultancy to other specialisms as appropriate.

 

For Substance misuse posts:

• Contribution to the work of the joint agency Drug and/or Alcohol
• Team, providing Needs Assessment and Care Co-ordination Services for clients of the service in a Multi-agency Substance Misuse Team.
• Acting as an Approved Social Worker on the ASW rota, where qualified, or undertaking training to become an ASW to undertake such duties.

 

Learning Disabilities

• Providing Care Management and co-ordination for existing service users.
• Supporting the carers and families of individuals with learning disabilities.
• Assisting and supporting service users and their carers in planning for the future.
• Constructing social support systems for service users in order to maintain them effectively in the community, and liaising with other voluntary and independent sector providers in order to produce support programmes.

 

Independent Living (Physical & Sensory Disabilities)

• Arranging short term and long term residential care where appropriate and support the transition to residential care in the event of someone being unable to maintain themselves at home.

Children & Families Services

Leaving & After Care

• The Leaving and Aftercare Service was set up in response to the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and offers a support and advice to young people leaving care aged from fifteen and a half up to the age of 21 (24 if still in full-time education).
• This is a developing service and staff working in the teams have the opportunity to work closely with young people to plan for their future and help to ensure that they fulfil their potential in life.
• Staff are involved in assessing young peoples’ needs and working with them to produce plans that address all aspects of their lives – education, employment, accommodation, personal support, health, etc.
• As a new service there are exciting opportunities to be involved in identifying and developing resources to meet these needs in conjunction with colleagues from education, health, Connexions and the private and voluntary sector.

 

Children & Families Services (CAFS)

• To carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Children Act 1989 and other relevant legislation as directed, in order to ensure that the Directorate meets its statutory duties.
• Working to the priority matrix, undertake assessments and formulate care plans.
• To manage a caseload of both statutory and preventative work for Children and Families.
• To prepare all the necessary paperwork for all attendances at Court, Panels, Child Protection Conferences, Reviews, and other meetings and take follow up action as necessary.

 

Continuing Care

• To be responsible for the case manager of court proceedings where these are deemed as necessary to promote the welfare of children.
• To be responsible for the case management of children who are looked after by the department.  The focus will be to actively determine whether family reunification is possible. Where this cannot be achieved, to work in partnership with families to identify and provide stability within an alternative environment.
• To maintain casework records, to provide reports as required by the department, Court and other agencies that comply with corporate standards.

 
Child Protection Investigation (CPI)

• To undertake any actions identified as necessary by assessments and/or investigations including participation in CP Conferences, co-working and Court proceedings, as determined by the best interests of the child.
• To operate professionally to corporately defined standards of practice, and where applicable, inform the Team Manager of any obstacles to attaining the required standards.
• To participate and contribute to, a supportive learning environment in relation to both the team, the Locality and the County Child Protection Investigation Service.
• To liase and co-operate with colleagues in CPI Teams across the County and participate in providing cover where necessary, as determined by Team Managers and Service Managers.
• To participate in, and contribute to local DCPC’s within a multi-disciplinary approach to Child Protection Services.

 

Youth Offending Team (YOT)

• Carry out assessment and interventions with young people and their families as part of Final Warning and Reprimands, in conjunction with other members of the Youth Offending Team and as part of a Case Management Team.
• Undertake assessments of young people refused bail, in conjunction with other members of the Team and as part of a Case Management Team, provide intervention in support of bail.
• Providing either an Appropriate Adult Service to the Police Station or support volunteers who are acting on behalf of the Youth Offending Service as part of the Duty Rota.  Perform Youth Court/Crown Court Duty as required.
• Undertake, in accordance with National Standards and as part of a Case Management Team, the supervision of young people subject to Court Orders such as Action Plan and Supervision Orders.  This may include involvement in delivering group work programmes.
• Undertake, as part of a Case Management Team, sentence planning and post custodial supervision of young people subject to Detention and Training Orders.
• To undertake comprehensive assessments of risk and needs, using ASSET, of young peoples offending behaviour.  To undertake regular reviews of risk as part of an agreed framework.

 

 
Children with Disabilities (CWD)

• To promote the welfare of the child at all times and have a good working knowledge of the expectations of the Children Act 1989.
• To have a clear understanding of the needs led approach to our work and to provide assessments based on the needs of children with a wide variety of disabilities.
• Recognising the needs of carers requiring assessment and provision.
• To develop and promote good understanding of how needs can be met once identified and how to prioritise need.
• To work outside normal hours on occasion.

 

Placement Services (Fostering)

• Participating in activity relating to the recruitment, assessment and training of foster carers, including task centred, long term, private and relative/friend foster carers.
• To be responsible for a designated group of foster carers, offering advice, guidance and support as necessary.
• To respond to calls from colleagues in relation to long term placements, by taking basic referral information, ensuring LAC information is provided to enable the needs of the children to be matched with fostering households.
• To liaise with colleagues about the placement of individual children, ensuring compliance with the Arrangements for Placements of Children (General) Regulations within this process and reporting to the Fostering Manager about areas of difficulty.
• To ensure that appropriate information is passed to carers to enable them to look after the young person appropriately and safely.
• To ensure that all financial procedures are completed to commence payment to carers.
• To liaise with the Social Workers of children placed in relation to the day to day running of the placement and ensure a response to concerned about its functioning experienced by any of the parties.
• To attend Fostering Panel to present applications or other reports, as required.

Person Specification

(E) = Essential Criteria    (D)= Desirable
 

Qualifications & Education
1.         Diploma in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent. (E)
2.         List A Qualifications – Section 1 (E)
3.         It is essential that you are able to drive and have a full driving license or have access to a car and driver. (E)
 

Values and Standards
4.         Genuine commitment to enhancing own self-development. (E)
5.         Ability to command the respect of colleagues. (E)
6.         A strong commitment to improving service delivery to meet the needs of clients. (E)
7.         Genuine commitment to Equal Opportunities and Anti-discriminatory practice. (E)
8.         A desire to work collaboratively with other agencies and groups in enhancing service delivery to Older People. (E)
9.         Willingness and ability to work as part of a team with a commitment to sharing and working alongside staff in other organisations. (E)
 

Work Experience
10.       Understanding of the Community Care Act and knowledge of the law relating to Community Care. (E)
11.       Knowledge of procedures and good practice. (E)
12.       An understanding of the process and purpose of supervision. (E)
13.       Assessment of the needs of clients within a fieldwork or residential setting. (E)
14.       Experience of working under pressure and being able to prioritise your workload demands in the face of competing pressures. (E)
15.       Evidence of ability to work as a member of a team. (E)
16.       Ability to, and commitment to working in partnership with clients and other agencies. (E)
17.       Knowledge of, and understanding of Community Care theories. (D)
18.       Familiarity with and understanding of computerised systems. (D)
19.       Previous experience of working with Older People and their carers. (D)
 

 

Skills and Knowledge
20.       Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing. (E)
21.       Ability to empathise with client’s needs and to promote those needs sympathetically and persuasively. (E)
22.       Ability to advocate on behalf of clients. (E)
23.       Proven ability to meet timescales and deadlines for own workload. (E)
24.       Assessment and recording skills. (E)
 

Competencies
 
24.       Analysis & Judgment
25.       Interpersonal Skills
26.       Organisational Awareness & “Joined Up” Thinking
27.       Customer/Client Orientation
28.       Works to the professional/technical standards required by the job including National Standards where appropriate.

CHECKLIST FOR ENGAGING AN AGENCY WORKER

 
(a) Before the person is engaged – Agencies to supply as appropriate to job:

• Photocopies of qualification certificates, full employment history, reasons for leaving employment with children or vulnerable adults (Care Standards Act 2000 requirement for residential, day care and home care staff)
• Agency’s written confirmation of a current, clear CRB and POCA, POVA check carried out within the past 12 months.  This note to include the worker’s name, date of birth and CRB reference number plus date of CRB issue
• References as supplied by the Agency, checked for quality, currency
• Written permission from agency staff member for local authority check to be made

 (b) What has to be brought/checked/ provided when the agency worker, starts work:

• Original Passport or driving licence with photo-card seen and signed off as a likeness by the Team or Homes Manager or someone with delegated authority
• Agency identity card
• The agency worker’s own copy of their CRB check.  Signed confirmation that this has been seen by Team or Homes Manager or someone with delegated authority
• Original copy of qualifications, certificates required for job (e.g.DIPSW, Manual Handling) Manager keep copy if not already held.
• Driving licence, MOT and car insurance (where using own car).  Signed off by Team or Homes Manager or someone with delegated authority.