Blackstone Recruitment are currently working with a Local Authority in Kent who are recruiting for a Social Worker on a locum basis.
Job Title: Social Worker
Directorate: PEOPLE: Children and Adults
Division: Adult Social Care
Range: SW2
Reports to: Team Manager
Main Purpose of the Job:
Managing a mixed caseload working within our generic community social work teams, providing high quality, effective, person centred assessment and interventions across Medway using a strength based practice approach with an emphasis on face-to-face visits. In line with Care Act duties and powers work to support adults with care and support needs, their families, and carers to lead fulfilling and as independent lives as possible. To work with a preventative and enablement focus, delaying the provision of long-term care where appropriate facilitating individual’s strengths and support networks.
Understand and work effectively within financial and legal frameworks, obligations, structures, and culture, in particular Human Rights and Equalities legislation, the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and accompanying guidance and codes of practice.
Be able to operate successfully in the organisational context, demonstrating effective time management, caseload management and be capable of reconciling competing demands and embrace information, data, and technology appropriate to their role. Prepare clear, structured, and concise reports for meetings, i.e. strategy meetings, court reports, to the required standard and within the prescribed timescales.
Liaise with stakeholders in a way that promotes the vision and values of the Council.
Accountabilities and outcomes:
Work directly with adults to establish their wishes and feelings, using a variety of techniques, as required. Demonstrate and model good practice that reflects a commitment to relationship and strengths-based practice, in collaboration with adults, their families, and carers.
Work with service providers and other agencies to ensure appropriate services are delivered in a timely manner. Explain your role as a social worker to stakeholders, particularly health and community partners, and challenge partners constructively to effect multi-agency working. They should contribute to developing awareness of personalisation and outcome-based approaches to improving people’s lives.
Manage a workload within a framework of appropriate reflective supervision, undertaking strengths based assessments that evidence the voice of the adult by developing plans that are person centred and outcome based.
Participate in regular supervision with your manager to review casework and critically reflect on and identify any areas of learning. Keep up to date with research findings, theoretical models, and innovative practice within the social work field to maintain the highest professional standards.
Know how and when to seek advice from a range of sources including named supervisors, senior social workers, and other professionals. Should be able to make effective use of opportunities to discuss, reflect, and test multiple hypotheses, the role of intuition and logic in decision making, the difference between opinion and fact, the role of evidence, how to address common bias in situations of uncertainty and the reasoning of any conclusions reached and recommendations made, particularly in relation to mental capacity, mental health, and safeguarding situations.
Accountabilities to the Adults we work with: ✓ Be a good listener ✓ Be non-judgemental ✓ Be responsive ✓ Be understanding ✓ Be honest ✓ Be focused ✓ Be realistic ✓ Be a good timekeeper ✓ Be resourceful in your approach
Be ambitious and professionally curious for adults with care and support needs and promote others to share the same drive.
Make no decision about me without me.
At the discretion of the Head of Service, such other activities as may from time to time be agreed consistent with the nature of the job described above.
Key Corporate Accountabilities:
To work with colleagues to achieve service plan objectives and targets.
To understand and actively keep up to date with GDPR responsibilities, including completing regular refresher training.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: all employees are required to act in such a way that safeguards the health and well-being of children and vulnerable adults.
To participate in the Performance Appraisal process and contribute to the identification of own and team development needs utilising the Career Development Framework.
To actively promote the Council's Fair Access, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and observe the standard of conduct which prevents discrimination taking place.
To ensure full compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Council's Health and Safety Policy and all locally agreed safe methods of work.
To fully understand and be aware of the commitment to the duty under Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to prevent crime and disorder.
Promote the Medway Carbon Neutral by 2050 commitment; supporting the Council action plan to ensure we play our part in addressing the climate emergency.
Organisation:
This role reports to the Team Manager
The post holder will not be required to line manage others but may be required to direct, coordinate or train other employees.
The post holder will be required to liaise with all stakeholders both internal and external to the organisation.
Working Style:
HYBRID - a flexible working arrangement whereby an employee can undertake their work either in the office and/or partially or mainly from home on a temporary or permanent basis.
Person Specification:
Qualifications:
-> Social Work Qualification
-> Successful completion of ASYE
-> Registered with Social Work England
Knowledge:
* Knowledge and experience of working with adults with care and support needs in a statutory setting.
* Knowledge and application of the relevant legislation and statutory guidance and standards. Including legislation relating to data protection regulations and Freedom of Information.
* Demonstrable knowledge and experience in the application of relevant theoretical frameworks, practice models and research: to include strengths based and trauma informed.
* Understanding of and commitment to Social Work England’s professional standards of practice.
* Knowledge and experience of the Mental Capacity Act.
* Competent in all areas of the PCF at Social Worker level and the Knowledge and Skills Statement (KSS) for Adult Social Workers.
Experience:
• Demonstrable experience of working with adults, carers, and families: ‘Think Family’.
• Demonstrable experience of undertaking direct work with adults with care and support needs, and carers.
• Experience in relationship and strengths-based practice, working collaboratively with adult’s carers and their families.
• Demonstrable experience in adult safeguarding.
• Experience of work within a court or other professional settings.
Skills:
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, as well as an electronic integrated system such as MOSAIC or similar.
• Full driving valid for use in the UK and access to own transport for work purposes.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.
• Assessment skills that evidence the voice of the adult.
• Ability to initiate and develop working partnerships with statutory, voluntary, and private agencies.
• Able to engage with adults, carers, and families and can demonstrate experience using a wide range of communication methods.
• Able to write good quality reports, suitable for a variety of professional settings, and maintain accurate and up to date case records.
• Embed partnership working to ensure support is relevant, proportionate and well co ordinated.
• Able to make good quality judgements and sound decisions in situations of increasing complexity, risk, uncertainty and challenge, and be able to effectively explain and justify decisions.
• Ability to manage time and workloads effectively, at times needing to work under pressure.
Please APPLY now or contact Kirsty at Blackstone Recruitment