Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Designated Social Care Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Early Help |
Business unit |
Children’s Services |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Early Help Service Manager |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Early Help Service Manager |
Salary grade |
K |
JE ref |
CSERV017 |
1. Key purpose of job
- Strategically lead framing and developing social care elements of the SEND strategy across the local authority, in compliance with legislative requirements of the SEND Code of Practice.
- Identify gaps and develop new ways of working, particularly in relation to pathways for children and young people ‘not known’ to social care with SEND.
- Improve impact on both quality and timeliness of advice and information into Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP) plan to improve outcomes for children with SEND through the development of integrated systems, processes and practices.
- Identify and analyse gaps in knowledge and skills to develop and deliver training including evaluating impact.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- Improved social care input to Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP).
- Bringing the Social care and SEND systems together.
- Improving knowledge and understanding of SEND across all areas of Social Care.
- Improved outcomes for children with SEND through ensuring high quality social care input and engagement with the Education, Health and Care needs assessment and planning process.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- Accountable for developing strategies, action plans and processes which support and enable the SEND reforms agenda to become embedded within social care operations and practice.
- Contributing to and influencing SEND organisational design, and assisting in the development of 0-25 Children & Young People with Disabilities Service and its policies.
- Establishing and leading a network of social care SEND ‘champions’ and link workers.
- Facilitating and overseeing the implementation of the SEND agenda within social care through collaboration with partner agencies and Written Statement of action including the SEND Family Voice forum to inform future planning.
- Responsibility for developing social care aspects of the Local Offer that provide relevant advice and information and meet all legislative requirements.
- Analysing complex and varied work strands across functions, services and agencies in order to identify and exploit opportunities for co-production and integrated working between social care, health and education to progress SEND reforms agenda.
- Working collaboratively with social care divisional director and managers to ensure social care meet statutory responsibilities under the Children & Families Act (2014) and Care Act (2014), and to drive forward organisational culture change aligned to the SEND reforms.
- Constructively challenging practice, systems, processes and protocols to enhance SEND reform compliance to support the SEND Written Statement of Action.
- Responsibility for framing social care elements of the local authority’s self-evaluation process to ensure readiness for SEND Ofsted & CQC Inspections.
- Involvement in and initiation of varied multi-stakeholder projects and work streams. Themes include participation and engagement, person-centred approaches, joint working initiatives, outcomes frameworks, operational function design, IT systems connectivity, EHC processes, quality assurance, joint commissioning, Early Years, Preparing for Adulthood, the Local Offer.
- Contributing to social care workforce development by formulating programme of blended learning/training relating to the SEND reforms across varied audience profile and functions.
- Work collaboratively with the Quality Assurance Team to understand the key themes and findings from Quality Assurance activity to embed learning and evaluate impact of service developments.
- Responsible for the management of all SEND processes and reporting on all matters relating to SEND within Children’s Social Care.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
- Provide line management and supervision to the Send Advice Line Officer.
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Normal working environment and conditions.
- Work autonomously and provide oversight to ensure Social Care meet SEND legislation and associated timescales.
- Work within a complex system across the local area to problem solve and remove barriers to social care meeting their SEND statutory responsibilities.
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External
- The post holder will be working with partner agencies including, NHS, Education Providers, Community Services, and the Voluntary Sector. The post holder will collaborate with the Designated Social Care Officer Network both regionally and nationally.
- Internal
- Collaborate with managers across Children’s Services to embed the SEND reforms and colleagues at all levels across the council.
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.
- 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 is eligible for both hybrid and permanent home working.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- As this post 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.
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 |
Designated Social Care Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Early Help |
Business unit |
Children’s Services |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- ICT Skills, including experience of using Microsoft office packages and databases.
- Thinking creatively and challenging the norms: existing practice, process, protocols.
- Evidence of applying innovative and analytical approaches to solving complex and challenging problems.
- Evidence of effectively and sensitively dealing with a wide range of people regarding difficult and complex issues including the use of effective negotiation.
- 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
- Problem solving across a range of issues and across organisational and agency divides.
- Strong influencing and confident interpersonal skills to achieve best outcomes for children and families whilst balancing Social Care and the local authority’s interests.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Understanding, analysing, and presenting complex information effectively.
- Knowledge of statutory requirements and national guidance in relation to Safeguarding, Cared for Children, Children with Disabilities, Fostering and Adoption.
- Knowledge and understanding of the SEND agenda and Green Paper, current social policy, good practice and legislation. Including Working Together to Safeguard Children and the relevant Ofsted Inspection Frameworks.
Desirable knowledge
- Understanding and responding to differing perspectives and taking a cross organisational view.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Considerable experience of working with children and young people with SEND and their families.
- Considerable experience of working with children and young people with Social Care needs and their families.
- Relevant experience of leading, mentoring, and supervising the work of others.
- Experience of successful working with a wide range of stakeholders including children and young people, parents and carers, and those within social care, education, health and voluntary sector.
- Successful experience of implementing organisational change by identifying issues/barriers, generating solutions, and planning and developing how these will be implemented in a cross-function, cross-organisation environment.
Desirable experience and achievements
N/A
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Relevant professional social work qualification to the equivalent of a degree and evidence of having met post qualification standards.
- A current professional registration with Social Work England.
- Management qualification to certificate level or equivalent or, a willingness to acquire such, in a timely fashion.
- Evidence of continued professional development.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
N/A
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/Southwest/UK to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate occasional/permanent homeworking.