Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Advanced Social Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Childrens Services |
Service |
Safeguarding |
Business unit |
Operational Services / Single Assessment / CWD / Children Looked After |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Team Manager |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Team Manager |
Salary grade |
K |
JE ref |
CS33 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To lead the development of peer supervision and reflective practice and to provide coaching and mentoring to Social Work staff across Children’s Social Care.
- To carry out or obtain assessment of service user need and manage a full caseload of complex and appropriate work relevant to the professional discipline.
- To monitor and report on the quality of assessments and plans and help improve the performance of the staff to achieve these within targets set.
- To help establish within the Team/Service a practice led culture of continual improvement / quality assurance through the rigorous use of case auditing and the active use of this information to shape individual development plans, team/service plans and organisational plans.
- To challenge and promote best practice and lead on the promotion of learning from Serious Case Reviews.
- To carry a specialist practice portfolio across the whole of Children’s Services.
- To be part of a service wide Principal Social Worker Group which will hold a strategic responsibility for the development of good practice and service improvement.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- To improve practice standards across the service with particular reference to the learning from Serious Case Reviews.
- To embed improvements in the way issues of equality, diversity and identity are addressed by all social care staff.
- To establish 100% compliance across the service in conjunction with the Head of Service and Team Manager the Performance Management Framework; including the audit and review of case files.
- To improve the degree of high challenge and high support offered to front line practice.
- To improve the quality assurance culture across social care, working in partnership with the Lead Auditor and Independent Reviewing Service.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
- To lead in conjunction with Team Manager and Assistant Team Manager to ensure that practice standards are improved particularly focusing on:
- Restorative Practice.
- The outcome focus in plans.
- The assessment and management of risk.
- The taking of prompt action to protect children.
- The voice of children, young people and families is clear.
- Issues of identity and equality and diversity are fully addressed.
- The quality of supervision.
- To lead on the development of peer supervision for Team Members.
- Successfully manage a diverse complex caseload to ensure children and families receive support to meet their assessed needs, within the team’s care management budget when necessary.
- The ability to work effectively as required across a range of roles in the Service to provide flexibility of resource and consistently performing at a high level.
- To provide consultation and mentoring to staff as a when required.
- To take a lead role in co-working complex cases with less experiences staff ensuring that quality, timing and cost efficiency are maintained.
- Contribute to the promotion of resources within the community to prevent the need for Children’s Services or statutory intervention, by actively collaborating with Service Users and partner agencies including schools.
- Contribute to decision-making on client priority needs to ensure the most vulnerable clients receive an appropriate service.
- Participate in management and delivery of duty rota system and other shared team responsibilities according to team requirements.
- Maintain records and comply with financial and administrative IT procedures, including electronic case recording.
- Ensure that professional practice adheres to clear threshold definition, including participating in work designed to reduce the need for children to be looked after.
- Chairing or managing the activities and outcomes of Core Groups and other meetings as required.
- Prepare and support cases going to court and attend court with limited additional management support.
- To provide professional support and challenge to Team Managers and other staff members on the delivery of case audits and the use of this information to inform developmental plans.
- To challenge practitioners record keeping.
- Ensure that Financial Regulations are complied with, and best value principles adopted.
- Sustain and improve the overall reputation of the Council and act in the best interest of the Authority through effective representations regionally and nationally.
- To develop the quality assurance skills within the team with the aim of supporting a routine and systematic approach to understanding service impacts and outcomes that is required to deliver service planning.
- Evidence of continued professional development in areas relevant to Children’s social care and the development of the profession.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
- To lead the development of peer supervision and reflective practice and to provide coaching and mentoring to Social Work staff across Children’s Social Care.
- To Line Manage, mentor and coach and small group of less experienced Social Workers, Newly Qualified Social Workers and Community Care Workers, ensuring a focus on evidence-informed practice as directed by the Team manager when required.
- Contribute to the continuing professional development of staff by promoting and identifying potential learning needs and support the delivery of ‘protected time’ to pursue learning opportunities. (Minimum of half a day per calendar month). Through this process ensure that appropriate national professional standards/competencies are being met and monitored.
- Contribute to the recruitment, retention, motivation of team members.
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
- Use of mobile office technology as part of agile working i.e. laptops, tablets and smart phones.
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External
- Representing the Council at national and regional meetings with partner agencies and government agencies.
- Responding to Inspections and the cross examination by individual inspectors.
- Presenting information in court.
- Developing and maintaining operationally important relationships with professionals from across the public and voluntary sector.
- Internal
- Working with staff at levels within the Council.
- Engaging with Members through formal governance mechanisms.
- Collaboration and project work with other senior managers.
- Staff working at levels within the Council including dealing with members
10. Other duties
- To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.
Other Information
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Childrens Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council
- This post is office based at Electric house, but also eligible for hybrid working. The post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If this post is a customer facing role and meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2017 (part 7) the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
- If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Advanced Social Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Childrens Services |
Service |
Safeguarding |
Business unit |
Operational Services / Single Assessment / CWD / Children Looked After |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
- Able to convey respect for others.
- Ability to demonstrate skills in mediation, negotiation and problem solving.
- Able to assess situations with clarity and sensitivity and act professionally in crisis situations.
- Ability to work in an open and challenging way with families.
- Organisational/time management skills.
- Ability to implement anti-discriminatory practice in all areas of work.
- Ability to take a lead role in jointly worked cases.
- Ability to prepare and present reports in a variety of settings.
- Demonstrate skills in working to achieve focussed outcomes.
- High level analytical skills.
- Excellent case recording skills.
- Ability to mentor others that upholds and promotes the ethical principles and values that guide professional practice and thereby ensures compliance with policies.
- Ability to implement anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles in all areas of work practice.
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Demonstrate ability to lead on complex work, to achieve targets set within timescale and budget.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Good understanding of the full range of activities delivered by the Authority and partners in relation to children, young people and families.
- Has a developed knowledge of Social Care policies and procedures, and makes themselves continually aware of new Child Care legislation and National Guidance.
- Awareness of effective management practices.
- Thorough understanding of current legislation and guidance and developments in services to children young people and families.
- Demonstrates an advanced and detailed knowledge of child development, attachment theory, anti discriminatory practice, the Framework for assessment of children in needs and their families, social work theory and methods.
Desirable knowledge
N/A
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience of working with children and families in the context of current legislation and government initiatives.
- Two years post qualification experience of working in a local authority setting.
- For Social work professionals, experience of complex Child Protection cases and Court proceedings under the Children’s Act 1989.
- Commitment to evidence of applying an evidenced informed practice approach.
- Experience of managing or supporting others and assuring compliance to policy and procedures.
- Experience of working under pressure and making robust evidenced informed decisions.
- Evidence of having delivered improved outcomes and impact for children and young people.
- Understanding and experience of performance monitoring and performance management techniques to drive service improvement.
- Demonstrates advanced and detailed skills in direct work with children and young persons, carers and families.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Experience of mentoring or coaching peers.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Social Work qualification eg DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
- Commitment to obtaining the Graduate Certificate in Professional Practice and Child Care Award.
- Current Social Work England Registration.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- Commitment to obtaining the Graduate Certificate in Professional Practice and Child Care Award.
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
- Ability to accommodate shift patterns.
- Ability to accommodate on-call working.