Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Social Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Single Assessment, Operational Services /Specialist Services (Children with Disabilities and CLA Teams) |
Service |
Children’s Services |
Business unit |
Children’s Services |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Team Manager |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Team Manager |
Salary grade |
28 - 31 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To provide a high quality and effective social work service to respond to the needs of children, young people and families in a timely manner and within statutory guidelines, policies and standards.
- To assess need, plan and deliver focused intervention and family support to safeguard and protect children and young people and promote positive outcomes.
- Working to models of best practice and actively promoting and adopting integrated approaches for the benefit of children and young people and their families.
- To understand and promote the core business of the Torbay Safeguarding Children’s Board and deliver its priorities.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- Complete or contribute to targeted or specialist assessments of children and young people’s need.
- Initiate appropriate safeguarding action to protect children and young people at risk of significant harm.
- To promote and complete preventative and early intervention activity to reduce the need for statutory based activity wherever possible.
- Manage and monitor a caseload to ensure children and young people receive appropriate levels of support and provision to meet their assessed needs, within the team’s care management budget.
- To ensure that the wishes and feelings of all children and young people are obtained and recorded.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- Responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
- Initiate appropriate safeguarding action to protect children and young people at risk of significant harm.
- To undertake interview, observations and gather information from children, young people, families and other agencies to analyse, summarise and evaluate the information to provide an holistic assessment of a child or young persons need, balancing risk and protective factors within a child protection framework.
- To produce focused and purposeful care plans for interventions with explicit aims and objectives about desired outcomes within the context of managing risk to children and young people.
- Undertake regular and/or statutory reviews in accordance with Legislation and Policy to ensure care packages are meeting the needs of children and young people and comply with best value principles.
- Contribute to the promotion and use of preventative and early intervention services 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.
- To effectively use partnership threshold criteria to determine Service User need and to ensure the most vulnerable children or young people receive an appropriate service.
- To be a member of a Social Work team and actively engage in shared team responsibilities according to team requirements.
- To complete Section 47 Child Protection investigations and risk assessments in accordance with ‘Working Together 2018’ and South West Child Protections Procedures.
- To use and comply with the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need to complete both Initial Assessments and Core Assessments within the agreed timescales.
- To use Liquid Logic LCS electronic system for routine communication, recording, information gathering and assessment in order to secure the best outcomes for Service Users and their families.
- To comply with Financial Regulations and business support policies and procedures.
- The above outlines the duties required for the time being but this is not a comprehensive or exclusive list and duties may be varied from time to time which does not change the general character of the job or the level of responsibility entailed.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- An assessment of the need will be undertaken on request or as determined by the role.
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External - Colleagues in Partnership Agencies.
- Internal - Colleagues in all children’s services teams, all other Council departments and Council 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.
- 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.
- This post is based at Tor Hill House but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
- 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 |
Social Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Single Assessment, Operational Services /Specialist Services (Children with Disabilities and CLA Teams) |
Service |
Children’s Services |
Business unit |
Children’s Services |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Excellent interpersonal and communication 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 prepare and present reports in a variety of settings
- Demonstrate skills in working to achieve focussed outcomes.
- Customer focussed.
- Ability to exercise individual judgement and consult where and when appropriate.
- Ability to be able to use own initiative.
- Assessment skills including balancing risk and protective factors
- Excellent case recording skills
- Ability to create good working relationships with children, young people, families, colleagues and other professionals.
- Ability to use IT packages including Microsoft word and IT based Care Management Systems.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Experience of working in a multi agency environment.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- General knowledge of the range of options available to children, young people and their families
- Knowledge of appropriate child care legislation and how it affects children and young people
- Knowledge of current CP practice, framework for Assessment and CLA materials
- Awareness and understanding of relevant Child Care issues
- Knowledge and understanding of application of an evidence base in practice.
Desirable knowledge
N/A
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Direct work with Children Young People, Families and professionals.
- Experience of working independently and as part of a team.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Experience of participating in a variety of meetings (including child protection).
- Experience of working in/or placement in Children and Families team.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Social Work degree qualification e.g. Dip SW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
- Membership of Social Work England.
- Commitment to continued professional development.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
N/A
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
- Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.