Experienced Social Worker
Location: Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1UJ
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 6+ Months
Working Hours: Mon – Fri, 09:00 – 17:00, 37 Hours per week
Pay Rate: £ 21.52 per hour
Job Ref: OR8990
Responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for:
Assessing Foster Carers, Special Guardianship Carers, and Private Fostering.
Offering support and supervision to Kinship Foster Carers.
Providing support and advice for Special Guardianship Carers, including accessing the adoption support fund.
Ensuring the protection of children and enhancing their outcomes.
Working with a small number of children and families to achieve the best possible long-term outcomes.
Providing high-quality assessment, support, and supervision to carers using Signs of Safety.
Continuously improving practice through post-qualifying training and participating in high-quality supervision.
Participating in rigorous self-evaluation through annual appraisal and half-year reviews.
Undertaking the full range of social work tasks with carers and their families – Assessment, Planning, Intervention, and Review.
Ensuring children, young people, and parents/carers are listened to and treated with respect.
Acting as the lead professional key worker in statutory cases requiring a qualified social worker.
Contributing to a multi-disciplinary approach for safeguarding plans, care proceedings, or admission to accommodation.
Demonstrating evidence-based practice in day-to-day work with carers, children, and families.
Participating positively in professional supervision and annual appraisal review.
Actively contributing to team working, supporting colleagues, and participating in team meetings and development events.
Demonstrating competence and confidence in using Council electronic case recording/reporting tools.
Implementing the council’s equal opportunities policy in professional practice and service delivery.
Undertaking service development tasks as appropriate.
Working flexible hours, including outside of normal office hours, as cases require.
Operating within legal, ethical, and practice boundaries when working with families.
Being responsible for Health and Safety and Safeguarding of all young people worked with.
Complying with GDPR legal obligations regarding personal information.
Person Specification
The ideal candidate will have:
Registration as a social worker with Social Work England.
A Social Work Qualification, such as a Social Work Degree or Diploma in Social Work.
Experience of direct work with carers, children in need, and their families.
Experience of statutory childcare work in a local authority setting, including fostering.
Effective communication skills with carers, children, young people, and families.
The ability to support family cohesion and empower families to manage their own lives.
The ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable children and young people.
The ability to develop purposeful and productive outcome-focused relationships with carers and families.
Child-centred social work practice based on social work value principles.
Skills to analyze, interpret, and make professional judgments when undertaking assessments.
The ability to define needs, clarify outcomes, and implement strategies to achieve outcomes.
Effective decision-making skills appropriate to the responsibilities of a social worker.
Competence in using technology, including relevant computer systems such as LiquidLogic.
The ability to reflect on own practice and make effective use of supervision and development opportunities.
Creativity and empowerment to solve problems and overcome challenges.
Willingness to travel within the geographical area of North Somerset.
Willingness to work outside normal working hours and participate in an out-of-hours support rota.
Participation in North Somerset Council’s appraisal system and undertaking required training and development.
The ability to maintain the Council’s comprehensive equality policy and ensure duties are carried out in accordance with these policies.
The ability to cope with the duties, responsibilities, and stresses associated with a professional social work role.
A satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure certificate.
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