Social Worker – Young People with Disabilities Team, Mid Essex
Permanent, Full Time
£34,902 to £50,081 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style: Community-based worker
The Role
Family Operations delivers direct provision of services relating to vulnerable children, young people and complex families. These services will be delivered against specifications set by the People Commissioning function in line with the County Council's overarching outcomes. The role reports directly to a Team Manager and will be a member of a small team of children, young people & families professionals focussed on delivering excellent social work practice within given area of service including, but not limited to Assessment & Intervention, Family Support & Protection, Children in Care & Leaving Care, Fostering & Adoption. The postholder is responsible for bringing to bear the highest possible standards in Social Work practice, ability and skills, working in accordance with defined legal frameworks, Policy and Procedures.
The Opportunity
Managing a defined caseload, the Social Worker is responsible for working effectively with children, young people & families/carers to achieve positive change and improved outcomes. This includes enquiry, assessment, purposeful intervention through direct work and review in relation to Child Protection, Child in Need and Children Looked After, achieving permanency through care for Children in Care.
Role Specific Accountabilities
* Assess, plan, review and provide support to a child, family or carer with complex family or social care needs, taking full account of appropriate legal frameworks, policy and guidance.
* Assess family functioning, providing help and support, when relationship breakdown threatens to impair the health or well-being of children at risk of abuse or neglect.
* Work collaboratively, building effective working relationships with other professionals, internally and externally to help children, young people and families improve and gain control of their lives when safety or ability to participate in their community is restricted.
* Carry out an assessment or enquiry and plan responses to safeguard a child from abuse, neglect or exploitation, building effective relationships with children, adults and families as appropriate, including intervention when information or circumstances suggest there may be a need to remove a child from their parents or carers.
* Arrange appropriate alternative care (including, where appropriate a permanent home) in collaboration with children, young people and their parents/carers where the parents/carers cannot care for them.
* Accountable for making recommendations about whether a case has reached the threshold for statutory intervention.
* Promoting autonomy and development with individuals who have complex social needs and are more vulnerable as a result of disability, exclusion, or diminished capacity, for example, working with people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or diminished capacity.
* Carry out age and human rights assessments as appropriate.
* Maintain up to date, accurate and high quality records of activity on cases. Participate in a range of planning and decision making forums including case discussions, Strategy Meetings, Legal Planning meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Statutory Reviews.
* Make a report to support an application for a care, adoption or other order as relevant.
* Write court reports and give evidence in relation to children at risk during legal proceedings.
* Assess people's suitability as foster carers, kinship carers (including Special Guardians), or adopters.
* Act as Practice Educators for social work qualifying course students on practice placements (as appropriate) or Assessor for Newly Qualified Social Workers completing their ASYE.
* Working with communities, families and individuals to maximise or promote their personal strengths, social networks and resources.
* Hold a caseload of a level of complexity and provide case management, guidance, support and expert advice to social care staff, students and newly qualified social workers, as and when required.
Accountabilities
* Understand the needs of your customers and deliver the best possible outcomes through exemplar behaviour in accordance with ECC's Values and Core Organisational Behaviours.
* Work flexibly and collaboratively across structural boundaries in support of key outcomes.
* Contribute to development of organisational capability by taking ownership of your own training and development, including identifying and taking part in training and development activity and responding to feedback on performance.
* Thinking creatively, challenging the norms, and constructively challenging those around them (including those more senior) to ensure continuous improvement and commercial astuteness, and inspire the same in colleagues.
* Take responsibility for identifying and responding to areas of risk including Health and Safety and Business Continuity.
* Work as part of project or process teams as required under the new operating model, ensuring excellent cross functional output.
The Experience You Will Bring
* A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or Masters in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current Social Work England (SWE) registration.
* Demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards eg Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS).
* Case recording.
* Demonstrate ability in the application of SW knowledge, using emotional intelligence, analytical skills and act with confidence in challenging social and family situations.
* A good working knowledge and ability to use information technology and related systems eg, Word, SW case recording systems.
* Required to be mobile throughout a wide operational area including travelling around the County of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.
* Required to work flexibly as required, including evenings and weekends if necessary.
This position is open to Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) and Experienced Social Workers.
Disability Confidence and Equality
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk
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