SHSCT Senior Social Worker/Team Leader Band 7

Advertised role location: Dromalane-Dromalane House
Official document: Job Description / Personnel Specification (docx)
Senior Social Worker (Team Manager) Band 7
Family Placement Service

Senior Social Worker (Team Manager) Band 7
Family Placement Service


JOB DESCRIPTION



JOB TITLE :

Senior Social Worker/
Team Manager

BAND

7

DIRECTORATE

Children & Young People Services

INITIAL LOCATION

Family Placement Service Dromalane House Newry

REPORTS TO

Service Manager Family Placement

ACCOUNTABLE TO

Director of Children & Young Peoples Services

JOB SUMMARY
The Senior Social Worker (Team Manager) will be primarily responsible for the direct delivery of a quality service to foster families referred to the Family Placement Team. He/she will lead a team which may include Senior Practitioners, Social Workers, Team assistants and administrative staff. The Team Leader will be responsible for the management, support and professional supervision of the team. He/she will also be responsible for team development, quality assurance and provision of high quality management information.


KEY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Deliver Services to Foster Families

1. Ensure that systems are in place to provide a consistent and appropriate response to the needs of foster families to support them in the delivery of a service to Children in Care.

2. Manage and utilize to best effect the team resources including budget as required.

3. Allocate work appropriately within the team and where appropriate to Senior Social Work Practitioner commensurate with the complexity of the case.

4. Coordinate the management of Assessment, Support and Supervision of Foster families and corresponding responsibilities to Children in Care.

Effectively engage with service users and carers to promote participation and support the efforts of the Trust’s Retention Group. To promote and develop a community perspective in terms of the provision and targeting of services.

Ensure the effective implementation by staff of support and placement plans to foster families.

Collaborate with other teams within and across the division to ensure best outcome for children and families.

Support senior management in implementing policy and contributing to Service Reports and collaborative working policies.

Contribute to service development and change management.

To continually determine the day-to-day priorities of the Team and to take appropriate action to ensure that placement need is met and that the Trust responsibilities are fulfilled.

To maintain good communication and liaison with statutory and voluntary agencies involved in the range of supports to Families.

To assist in the development of the Trust’s overall strategy in relation to foster care.

Provide advice, support and supervision to staff within the Team.

Facilitation, Professional Supervision and Practice
Development

Provide professional supervision to staff in relation to their practice and professional development and opportunity for annual appraisal.

Provide induction, support, advice, direction and appraisal to team members.

Access and participate in, as appropriate, research and other developmental activity relevant to improving standards of practice or team expertise.

Participate in the development of evidence based practice within the Children and Young People’s Programme.

Promote high standards of practice and ensure effective team working facilitating a positive team ethos.

Governance and Corporate Responsibility

Undertake audit in order to quality assure and monitor team processes and procedures.

Provide high quality management information on team’s activity and in relation to performance and outcomes.

Maintain appropriate professional, administrative and computerised records.

Liaise with relevant statutory, voluntary and independent sector organisations; ensure a collaborative approach to service delivery to foster families and the children in their care.

Fully utilise the various resources and services available to young people and carers across statutory, community and voluntary sector.

Contribute to needs assessment and service development.

Participate in professional supervision processes with line manager and be supportive to them in their role.

Continuous Professional Development

Maintain a high level of professional self-development through training
and supervision and learning and research, linked to continuing
registration requirements



HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trust supports and promotes a culture of collective leadership where those who have responsibility for managing other staff:

Establish and promote a supportive, fair and open culture that encourages and enables all parts of the team to have clearly aligned goals and objectives, to meet the required performance standards and to achieve continuous improvement in the services they deliver.

Ensure access to skills and personal development through appropriate training and support.

Promote a culture of openness and honesty to enable shared learning.

Encourage and empower others in their team to achieve their goals and reach their full potential through regular supportive conversation and shared decision making.

Adhere to and promote Trust policy and procedure in all staffing matters, participating as appropriate in a way which underpins Trust values.

PERSONAL AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES (PPI)

Promote and support the implementation of the Trust’s PPI Strategy and ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities as appropriate to their job role.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS


The post holder will be required to:

Ensure the Trust’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.

Co-operate fully with the implementation of the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.

Adhere at all times to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example:
Smoke Free policy
IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct
standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour

Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.

Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.

All employees of the Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the [org name] policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.

Take responsibility for his/her own ongoing learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.

Represent the Trust’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within the Trust's area, as needs of the service demand.

September 2020


PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE AND BAND Senior Social Worker: Team Manager Family Placement (7)

DEPARTMENT / DIRECTORATE Children &Young People Services

HOURS 37.5

Ref No:

Notes to applicants:
You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.
Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note the Trust reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.
Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA


SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor
Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

Applicants must provide evidence by the closing date for application that they are employed within a Health & Social Care organisation as defined

Three years post qualifying Social Work experience in Child and Family Care Work including direct work with children.

Knowledge of legislation, policy, procedures and current issues within looked after children services.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications/ Registration
Professional Social Work Qualification (CQSW / CSS / BSW / DipSW) and be registered or have lodged an application with the NISCC

Shortlisting by Application Form

Other
Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post.

Shortlisting by Application Form

SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills / Abilities
Capacity and commitment to contribute to the learning and development of staff, colleagues and students.

Ability to work in a computer literate environment.
Good communication and engaging skills, identify an ability to lead in challenging times.
Evidence of leadership and good decision making processes within complex working

Interview / Test

Knowledge
Having achieved or giving a commitment to achieve an award in social work within the Northern Ireland PQ Framework and linked to the service area and post, within 3 years of appointment to the post.

Knowledge of legislation, policy, procedures and current issues in family and children’s services

Interview / Test

DESIRABLE CRITERIA


SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted

Factor
Criteria
Method of Assessment

Experience

Experience in undertaking a form of supervision/support within a team setting
Have completed/willing to complete supervision training.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications

Post qualifying training.

Shortlisting by Application Form



As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.
Successful applicants may be required to attend for a Health Assessment

THE TRUST IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times

All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times