Download GLPC Job Description Non-Manager

GLPC Job Description
Non-Manager
Job Title
Senior Social Worker
Department
Children and Young People
Section
Children’s Social Care
Grade
PO3
Reports to
Social Work Team Manager
Staffing
Responsibility
Supervise Social Work Assistant by agreement with
the Team Manager, and based on the priorities of
the service. (Senior Social Workers will only be able to
Organisation
Please attach organisation structure
supervise Family Support Workers after supervising at
least 2 student placements).
Job Purpose:
1. To provide a high quality and effective social work service to respond to the needs of
children and their families in a timely manner and within statutory guidelines,
Directorate policies, standards and guidelines.
2. To assess need, plan and deliver focused intervention to safeguard and protect children and
promote positive outcomes. Working to best practice whilst promoting integrated agency
approaches for the benefit of children and young persons.
3. Manage and monitor a workload of complex cases as directed and organise work activities
taking into account the need to prioritise tasks and responsibilities, ensuring statutory
responsibilities are undertaken for children including visiting children, arranging reviews,
reporting to court, delivering within timescales and meeting other national and local
performance targets.
4. Responsible for planning and providing a range of appropriate services and
interventions to meet the needs of children, their families and carers by assessing,
arranging, coordinating, and monitoring provision within delegated levels of responsibility
and in accordance with the required local and national policies, procedures, standards and
legislation.
5. To contribute to service development as required. Take responsibility for own professional
development by attending supervision, appraisals and learning and training opportunities
and maintain ongoing continuing professional development to ensure the requirements of
the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) registration are met whilst working in an
effective and efficient manner
Principal Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
General Duties
1. To provide a service to children in need, their families, children looked after and care
leavers in line with statutory requirements and departmental priorities.
2. To undertake training as required in the overall interests of the service and as part of career
development.
3. To participate in team meetings, staff forums and work collaboratively as a team member.
4. To participate in duty rota within specific role.
5. Respond to public and other agencies by telephone, correspondence and direct contact in
order to provide a service within departmental priorities and timescales.
6. Liaise with relevant external agencies e.g. police, health authority etc.
7. Liaise with relevant colleagues in other Divisions and Council Departments.
8. To be responsible for individual client case planning in line with the professional standards
of the Department.
9. To be active in implementing the Council’s equal opportunities policy/in professional practice
and service delivery.
10. To be responsible for professional decisions within the Department’s priorities framework
and in relation to specific procedural guidelines.
11. To undertake service development tasks as appropriate.
12. To familiarise with departmental policies and procedures.
13. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a
way that at all times safeguards the health and well being of children and vulnerable adults.
14. Carry out duties with due regard to the Council’s Customer Care, Equal Opportunities,
Information Governance, Data Protection and Health and Safety policies and procedures.
15. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of this
post.
Specialist Child Care Duties
16. To provide a preventative and rehabilitative service within the criteria of the Children Act,
facilitating appropriate resources where necessary to enable children to remain with their
own families.
17. To assess situations where children are referred as being in need of protection,
accommodation or care provision, being particularly mindful of equal opportunities issues.
18. To plan quickly and effectively, involving carers as partners in the decisions made in respect
of children.
19. To maintain children with their own families wherever possible. Where natural family
circumstances have irretrievably broken down to plan a secure and permanent home for
children, ensuring they have clear information about their own background and contact with
natural relatives wherever possible.
20. Understanding of permanency planning/kinship care within the context of care proceedings
21. To provide an emergency service for assessment and action where children are referred as
being at risk.
22. To liaise with other sections of the Department and other relevant agencies to ensure that
good childcare practice is carried out in line with departmental policy including groups and
agencies.
23. To participate in relevant training and monitoring consistent standards of work.
Senior Social Worker, Child Care Duties
24. To facilitate and undertake timely comprehensive risk assessment of children and families
and to carry a complex caseload involving multi-disciplinary work. This includes court work,
child protection and permanency planning.
25. Adherence to the Family Justice Review and required court timescales.
26. To provide an excellent model of social work practice.
27. To undertake specific tasks for absent colleagues on cases requiring action under the
direction of a team manager.
28. Chairing meetings, where appropriate, under direction of a team manager for the service
users and less experienced staff.
29. To undertake student supervision and to be active student practice teachers.
30. To take responsibility for updating specialist knowledge in a relevant area, developing
practice, creating and updating information systems.
31. To represent the Department on working groups or liaison meetings involving Health,
Housing and other agencies.
32. To contribute to local and departmental training on practice issues in line with departmental
policies and procedures, in light of research finding sand in line with the Divisional Training
Strategy.
33. To supervise Social Work Assistant by agreement with the Team Manager, and based on
the priorities of the service. (Senior Social Workers will only be able to supervise Family
Support Workers after supervising at least 2 student placements).
34. To maintain accurate records, including using IT
35. To provide high quality services which are cost-effective and appropriate to the specific
needs of the families.
DBS Status
If working in Care Planning:
Enhanced and barred from working with children and adults
If working in other teams:
Enhanced and barred from working with children
Politically Restricted
No
Person Specification
Job Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
Knowledge and Qualifications:
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CQSW, CSS or Diploma in Social Work.
A commitment to the Council’s Equal Opportunities policies and the ability to understand and
implement the policies in relation to job responsibilities.
An understanding of the needs of children ‘in need’ or ‘at risk’ who are ‘looked after’ in relation
to their age and development and the ability to implement and review effective plans in
partnership with families and other professionals.
Demonstrate knowledge of key policy and research issues in the field of childcare.
Demonstrate an understanding of the organisational context on which the service is delivered
i.e. the health authority, independent sectors, legal and corporate structures within the
borough.
Experience:
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Significant post-qualifying experience in childcare including legal proceedings, section 47 and
direct work with children.
Skills and Abilities:
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To communicate verbally and in writing, including the ability to write coherent comprehensive
and up to date records, demonstrate file management skills inline with all policy requirements.
The ability and willingness to use a computerised client database and word processing
package (including e-mail).
The ability to work autonomously and maintain accountability while using line management
supervision appropriately.
Ability to carry out comprehensive assessments of risk and need of children and families within
agreed time-scales and implement and review written care plans, successfully demonstrating
clear knowledge and understanding of legislative, policy and practice issues.
Demonstrate the ability to manage and prioritise a complex workload, to work under pressure,
occasionally to include office hours, and the ability and willingness to take on additional
responsibilities in order to achieve and maintain the agreed timescales.
Ability to empathise with service users and provide a professional and customer focused
service at all times.
Demonstrate the potential to develop mentoring skills and contribute to the development of the
team.
Demonstrate the liaison, communication and presentation skills necessary to represent the
service/department in multi-agency forums.