Experienced Social Worker

• To manage an allocated caseload, which includes the management and decision-making involved with cases, some being high complexity and/or high-risk cases. These may be related to Child protection/ Care & Support/ Deprivation of liberty /cases subject to Court action/ school attendance, providing social worker support to adults / adults at risk and children / children at risk and their families and carers.
• To undertake assessments, design care and support plans and other appropriate plans e.g. Education plans and determine the provision of external support from appropriate providers within allocated budget parameters. To work in partnership with all services to ensure best use and deployment of resources.
• To adapt and apply Social Worker techniques to ensure approach meets the needs of the individuals/ people needing care and support, their families and carers in need of support and work both independently and in partnership with others. To promote positive outcomes by taking appropriate action in the provision of professional support, advice and decisions to ensure that all individuals referred have a plan based on an assessment of need and that such plans are evidence based, recorded, reviewed and modified as appropriate.
• To work to protect the interests, promote and safeguard the welfare of Adults/ adults at risk and children/ children at risk. Where required take actions to safeguard Adults and Children at immediate risk of harm and make decisions in the best interest of the adult/ child.
• Postholders allocated to a Team which operates a duty system, will be required to undertake duty on a rota basis, respond immediately and effectively to cases that arise, understanding the recording system to identify the case and those who may/may not be involved including other professionals, undertaking assessments and planning around immediate crisis responses to ensure proportionate response to the situation, whilst recognising and managing potential risks.
• To be a role model and share good practice, advice and support to enable team colleagues, new social workers/ students to learn, develop and progress their careers within the team. This will include supervision, assessment and mentoring of social work students / social workers undertaking other social worker qualifications, co-working on cases and supporting the services quality assurance by auditing and sampling of files and practice.
• Responsible for decision making with regards to individuals best interest, including carrying out best interest assessments (Deprivation of Liberty / liberty protection Safeguards assessments) preparing court reports and attending court where appropriate and is required to alongside Team Manager/ Assistant Team Managers, be responsible for chairing care and support, continuing health care or safeguarding meetings.
• Is required to become a specialist social work case worker in two of the following areas:
• Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards ( Best Interests Assessor) / Liberty Protection Scheme (Approved Mental Capacity Professional AMCP when implemented)
• Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP)
• Practice Educator/ Practice teacher.
• Children Related Specialisms, e.g. Achieve Best Evidence, Advance Safeguarding / Section 47,

(Other specialisms may be added over time subject to Service needs and as agreed with Chief Officer Social Care)

SECTION 2: DIMENSIONS

To be responsible for allocated social work students/ newly qualified social workers to provide supervision, assessment of work and mentoring to support and guide to aid their practice development.

As part of undertaking assessment of needs and developing care and support plans, the postholder will be required to identify appropriate interventions for the individuals/ people needing care and support, their families and carers in need of support, which will involve the setting out of the actions required from other key professionals/ colleagues (e.g. first contact advisors, family support workers, Personal assistants etc.), to undertake as part of delivering the care and support plans. The postholder will remain responsible for the work that others undertake, therefore is required to evaluate the care and support plan and the delivery of interventions to determine whether care and support plans requirements have been met, improvements for interventions needed or new revised interventions required.

Is responsible for ensuring case file and decisions are accurately and timely recorded, having access to confidential/sensitive records within GDPR requirements.

Social Workers can be deployed to or asked to undertake work within any of the social work teams within the Council, commensurate with relevant skills and experience. This will include allocation to other teams, to acquire knowledge and skills in other specialist areas, to ensure the service can operate flexibly to meet service demands.

In undertaking the role, the post holder will be responsible for the allocation of equipment to support an individual, may handle their personal belongings, cash and other items and will need to safeguard this.

Will be expected to work in an agile way embracing the Councils modern ways of working, fully utilising technology and systems.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide expert and professional social work services to adults/children, their families and carers by undertaking outcome focused assessments to identify eligible needs, developing outcome focused care and support plans which maximise where possible independence and potential. To monitor and evaluate care and support plans and check the standards of care are as detailed within individual care and support plans and in line with local authority processes and legal requirements.
• To establish, develop and maintain professional relationships through direct casework, supervision, with the aim that the individuals identified needs are met. To work with other agencies and organisations to facilitate effective service delivery and ensure best outcomes for individuals.
• To ensure that all assessments, planning, implementation and reviewing of caseload and decisions and practice are of the expected standards of the service, in line with timescales, established protocols, policies and procedures and comply with legislation. This includes maintaining accurate, timely and evidence case and decision making records decisions and other documents, and meeting timescales for review in accordance with the service quality assurance framework, Council procedures, Welsh Government Guidelines and legislation.
• To assess, identify, report on Adult/Child at risk in accordance with Safeguarding Procedures, including undertaking investigations, and undertake strategy discussions with the Police (if applicable)
• Alongside Team Manager/ Assistant Team Manager, required to act as independent chair of continuing health care, Care and Support meetings, adult safeguarding meetings, school attendance meetings and their review conferences, ensuring that they are accurately recorded and action clearly identified.
• To promote individuals/ people needing care and support, their families and carers in need of support participation in assessment planning, implementation and reviewing and are offered advocacy when appropriate.
• To ensure all practice advocates for the individuals/ people needing care and support and carers in need of support and challenges any potential discrimination, inequality or disadvantage that arises from practice / decisions of others (both within and external to the Council) to ensure the needs of the individual is met. This will include attending court hearings to provide evidence and reports and to advocate on their behalf at key meetings.
• To deploy and maximise the financial and material resources available to individuals/ people needing care and support, their families and carers in need of support from all possible sources and ensure value for money care packages
• To monitor and check standards of practice to support quality assurance, using auditing and sampling of files and practice, performance indicators and professional supervision through co-working on cases , assisting in the development of local minimum quality standards and improving the quality and timeliness of social care services.
• To mentor newly qualified social workers during their first three years of practice, including assisting in the Induction Programme, Peer Support, mentoring and Promoting Professional Development, to guide them and ensure they improve their practice, and facilitate case reflective discussion to take place and ensure this is captured formally, with postholder or when they discuss with their manager.
• To undertake regularly the formal coaching, mentoring and assessment of Social Work Students/ social workers undertaking other social worker qualifications (e.g. AMPH/ AMPC), for work placements, trainee programmes and work experience.
• Participate as part of the wider team to ensure that the service consistently carries out reflective practice and contribute ideas for on-going service improvements. Utilise recording document templates and reflect on an ongoing basis to improve individual practice and fully engage in case reflective discussions with Managers.
• To demonstrate the core values and behaviours of social workers and to work within/ comply with the standards in the performance of all duties, as outlined by the regulatory body and its Code of Professional Practice.
• To specialise in two areas of responsibility i.e. Approved Mental Health Professional , Best Interests Assessor (BIA), Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) / Liberty Protection Safeguards (AMCP), Practice Educator / Childrens specialisms (Achieving best evidence, Section 47) advanced practice (Complex Behaviours)etc. and participate in any rota/ team to undertake these specialist assessments.
• To keep abreast of relevant research, continuous professional development required, best practice and service / regulatory guidance documentation in relation to safeguarding, risk management, DoLS, BIA, Mental Health and other developments in practice, Routinely maintain an up to date understanding of the changing culture, health and social needs (and Education) of the locality to maximise own development and to inform current and future practice and service in line with Guidelines and Legislation and maintain Social Worker registration.
• To adhere to all policies and procedures of the Team, the Service, and the Local Authority, with particular regard to Safeguarding, Governance, Health & Safety, Lone Working procedures and other service or workforce policies and procedures.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications

Social Work Degree or Equivalent Qualification

Masters Social Work Degree of equivalent qualification

Consolidation Award / Post Qualifying Award

Two Specialist Awards e.g. DOLSs, AMHP, BIA (future LPS -AMCP), Experienced Practice in SW (EPSW) / Senior Practice in SW Awards (SPSW), older types of awards assessed as equivalent to EPSW / SPSW, e.g. PQ1 Plus full Post Qualification in Social Work, or equivalent agreed qualification pathway (e.g. Achieve best evidence/Section 47, Enhanced Practice -Complex Behaviours) , Practice Educator (previously known as Practice Teachers) Award or Equivalent Assessors Award or Qualification or commitment to achieve within a timescale agreed with management and the Workforce Development Team, in line with the Social Worker Progression and Career Development Framework for Wrexham Council.

Register and maintain registration as a Social Worker with Social Care Wales

Specialist Knowledge

Current and up to date knowledge of relevant Social Care Legislation for adults and childrens services/ Education.

Local Government Legislation

Evidenced knowledge and senior practice experience as a Social Worker.

Practical and Intellectual Skills

Ability to write and present reports to a high standard.

Ability to organise and prioritise work.

Proven skills in assessment

Proven skills in safeguarding

Ability to represent the service in court cases, chairing care and support, continuing health care and child/ adults safeguarding meetings/ case conferences and representing the best interests of the adult/ child.

Understanding the role, function and organisation of Social Services\

Ability to develop key relationships with other teams, services, agencies and organisations

Ability to work independently using own initiative.

Ability to communicate in Welsh

Personal Attributes

Demonstrates the expected values and behaviours set out in the Code of Professional practice and Council values.

Commitment to working in partnership to plan service provision.

Ability to work under pressure.

Commitment to the provision of high quality, cost-effective services

Commitment to improving performance through personal development.

Personal Circumstances

Ability to travel across the County Borough ( or region if working in a regional team/service) to carry out work (e.g. attend meetings / visit clients or work sites)

Equality

Knowledge of and commitment to Equality and Diversity

Understanding of the importance of Welsh Language and Culture

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