Job Details
We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, solution-focussed and innovative person to a Social Work Assistant post. You will be working alongside our Social Workers who are based within the Health and Social Care Social Work Contact Centre Team. The team are located within Bankhead Central, Bankhead Park, Glenrothes. This role will involve primarily telephone-based communication with service users across Adult and Older People Services. You will undertake a wide variety of work including the provision of advice, sign posting to appropriate local services and carry out initial assessments of need and risk.
The Social Work Contact Centre is a fast-paced working environment and team members to be able to make swift and confident decisions while ensuring that the best outcomes for services users are identified. Due to the volume and types of referrals received, team members are required to stay abreast of legislation, policy, guidance and research to promote best outcomes. The team are supported to do this through regular in-team training sessions and are expected to contribute with creative ideas and proposals as to how best to serve the Fife Wide community. You will work in a team that is dedicated, hard-working, supportive and cohesive. We promote mutual respect, kindness and support in our daily practice, towards each other, service users and multi-agency partners.
As a progressive employer, we offer the opportunity to work in this role as a “blended working” arrangement with home-working opportunities and office-working as required.
This post may require lone working.
Examples of tasks undertaken in this role include:
1. You will be expected to participate in a duty rota, with workers being based in the office on the days they are on duty.
2. In addition to carrying out duty you will hold a small caseload, carrying out short-term pieces of work.
3. You will be working alongside adults and older people, completing initial assessments to identify and agree appropriate support arrangements.
4. You will support the Social Workers to complete complex assessments of need and risk.
5. Maintain accurate case records
6. Attend meetings, as required
7. Have awareness of your role in terms of Adult Protection – the ability to recognise where concerns are present and report these
8. Undertake appropriate training to keep abreast of practice, legislative and policy changes.
9. Participation in Team Meetings and Development Sessions
10. Multi-agency working with a large variety of external agencies
11. Creating flexible and innovative plans to support service users at the point of referral.
12. A high standard of report writing
13. Any other duties as required by the Director of Health & Social Care and allocated by the Team Manager
These tasks will be carried out in partnership with service uses, carers, family members, social work colleagues, other professionals and external agencies as required.
The Person
14. You will have considerable experience of working in a relevant setting across Adult and Older People Services, Justice Social Work or Children and Families Social Work where your knowledge and experience will be transferable.
15. You will be educated to SCQF level 7 which includes HNC or Advanced Highers or SVQ 3 or equivalent
16. You will have experience of joint working, working collaboratively with service users, families, carers and other agencies to assess and manage needs and risks
17. You must have knowledge of relevant guidelines, in particular relating to information sharing protocols
18. You must have the ability to provide a regular and effective service
19. Knowledge of your responsibility to report issues/concerns
20. Work in a solution-focussed way with sound decision-making/problem solving skills
21. The ability to provide written reports, including informed recommendations
22. IT skills / the ability to embrace technology
23. Effective communication skills – the ability to listen and work alongside service users, families, carers and other agencies to agree and implement plans
24. The ability to practice in a strengths-based way – empowering others, promoting and maintaining independence and inclusion
25. The ability to work within a busy team
26. Knowledge of relevant policies, procedures and resources - promoting positive outcomes for our service users
27. The ability to adapt to change - ensuring that our service users, families and communities receive a high-quality service that is responsive to their needs and outcomes.
28. Experience of promoting equality and diversity.
29. The ability to travel within Fife.
Before confirming to your appointment, you will be required to obtain Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland and become a member of the relevant PVG scheme.