Social Worker NEW G8

Job Title : Senior Social Worker   Directorate : Adults, Housing & Communities Section : Mental Health Reporting to :  Team Manager

Grade : 8 Hours per Week:  37

Post Number Number of Employees Reporting to Post :  Grade 8 Social Workers will supervise Grade 7 Social Workers and Social Work Assistants

Special Conditions :   Market Supplement, Enhanced DBS, Registration with Social Care Wales, Full and valid driving licence and the use of a car.   Location of Post : Links Centre CMHT

Job Purpose: To assist people to resolve major difficulties in their lives and to enhance their independence and coping skills.

To work within current legislation and Council policy, procedures and practice to assess, commission and review services, including planned interventions, for a specific client group.

To work within the statutory guidance and policy/procedural framework to assist in protecting those who are at risk or vulnerable.

To contribute to the development and maintenance of workable systems to ensure quality of service across the city and the identification of people particularly at risk.

To work positively with colleagues in the statutory and independent sector to ensure an appropriate multi-agency approach, and to empower clients to speak for themselves

Duties and Responsibilities

Job Specific Requirements

 To review and update knowledge of legal, policy and procedural frameworks and

      demonstrate professional competence in social work practice as laid down in the       Code of Practice for Social Workers.

To work with individuals, families, carer groups and communities to help them make

     informed decisions, enabling them to clarify and express their needs and contribute      to service planning.

To assist users to enhance their independence.

To assess needs, risks and options, taking into account legal and other requirements, including child protection and protection of vulnerable adults.

To assess, identify, plan, implement and review the circumstances of individuals and their families and the need for procedural and legal intervention to meet their immediate needs.

To work actively with carers to identify and meet their support needs.

To prepare for and participate in decision-making forums.

To manage and prioritise the workload, carry out duties using accountable        professional judgement.

To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of work, using professional and

     managerial supervision and support to improve practice.

To contribute to the identification and agreement of outcomes required of the service.

To participate in duty rotas as appropriate.

To record unmet or inappropriately met needs in line with Council policy and procedure.

To participate in supervision, appraisal and team meetings, identifying issues and

     possible solutions where discussion and decision required.

To work within the budget framework of the service to identify specific packages of

     care to respond to individual assessments.

To record and share client data in line with Council policy and procedure.

To use corporate systems to support core business and care management process.

To offer specific advice to social workers and other care professionals in areas of

     specialist knowledge.

To provide casework supervision to team members below Grade 8.

To work independently of direct support e.g. attendance at court, child protection case conferences without the presence of a team manager.

To assist in practice development and special projects within the team.

To undertake complex and high-risk cases or arrange complex or high value packages of care.

To provide consistent guidance to other team members.

To complete joint work with less experienced staff or other colleagues in highly complex cases involving the liberty or safety of service users.

To provide supervision to students and support other staff with students on placement to ensure good quality placements and development of the workforce.

To organise and plan duty rotas as required.

To support the Team Manager in the identification of trends on unmet or inappropriately met needs.

To contribute to team meetings, service development days and training as appropriate.

To work with the Team Manager to ensure team and staff training needs are reviewed annually and contribute to the development of the Service Training Plan.

To assist in identifying precise service needs to contribute to the annual service planning and commissioning process.

To deputise for the Team Manager in respect of specific duties.

Corporate Requirements

To participate actively in supporting the principles and practice of equality of opportunity as stated in the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

To take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions and to comply with all health and safety legislation as appropriate.

To, as a statutory duty, adhere to the Council’s Corporate Safeguarding Policy and associated policies and procedures and to report concerns regarding the safety and wellbeing of children or adults at risk. In order to support you in this, you are required to access safeguarding training at the level which is relevant to this post.

To actively support the Council to reduce its carbon emissions and deliver climate resilient services and places.

As a term of your employment you may be required to undertake such other duties and/or times of work as may reasonably be required of you, commensurate with your grade or general level of responsibility within theorganisation.

Although you will be provided with a base, you will be required to work from various locations in accordance with the needs of the role.

DATE COMPLETED:_______________  AGREED BY: _____________________ (Recruiting Manager)

Date Received by Post holder: _____________________

Signature of Post holder: ____________________________

Person Specification

Job Title:  Senior Social Worker Post Number:

THE PERSON APPOINTED MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS

Area to be Demonstrated Essential Requirements

YOU MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS Desirable Requirements

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS BUT IF YOU DO, PLEASE TELL US How Assessed Application Form or Interview or Both

Competencies (as per Behavioural Competency Framework)

Putting Our Customers First – Level 2 Getting Things Done – Level 2 Taking Personal Responsibility – Level 3 Seeking to understand others and treating them with respect –  Level 3

Application Form & Interview

Education & Training

A good general education

Degree in Social Work or Equivalent

Approved Mental Health Professional Application Form & Certification where required

Experience / Knowledge

Experience of working with and assessment of Adults with mental health problems who require support services.

Experience of supervision of staff Experience of managing a caseload of ranging complexity and problems and competing demands.

Experience of working within a mental health setting.

Able to offer advice and support to social care staff on a range of complex case management issues.

  Application Form and Interview

Skills and Abilities

Ability to give clear written and verbal accounts of casework issues.

Ability to write clear, concise records and reports.

Skills in assessment and analysis of risk.

Ability to communicate effectively and creatively with vulnerable adults in a non-judgemental manner.

Ability to work as part of a team.

Ability to effectively organise work within a framework where time and service delivery targets are set.

Advocacy Skills

An ability to work with staff and managers at all levels and in a variety of disciplines and with agencies.

Knowledge of relevant legislation, policies and procedures.

Experience of supporting social care staff to meet performance targets set.

Experience of supporting social care staff to achieve quality outcomes.

The ability to speak other languages, in particular Welsh, and Community Languages would be an advantage.

Application Form and Interview

Personal Attributes

Commitment to the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

Commitment to principle of partnership.

Non-judgemental and caring attitude.

Understanding of the value and importance of supervision and ability to accept supervision.

Commitment to using information technology systems.

Interview

Special Circumstances

Full valid driving licence and the use of a car.     Application Form and Interview