Job Purpose
* To provide a comprehensive social work service in a variety of settings within a framework of relevant legislation and procedures, supporting children, young people, families and groups within the community.
* Social Workers will take responsibility for a caseload according to qualifications and experience.
* To form, develop and maintain professional relationships with children and young people and their families through direct casework, supervision, shared activity and counselling, in such a way that the child/young persons familys needs are met.
* To provide a service, which meets primary needs, promotes development, and assists behavioural difficulties and vulnerabilities
* To identify and assess risk of abuse, failure to protect, or harm to children.
* To advise senior managers as to any concerns in respect of children/young people with particular reference to there being at risk of abuse or harm.
* To identify, contribute to and suggest ideas for good practice and its development, and to take a lead in a special area of responsibility.
* To value, recognise and respect the diversity, expertise and experience of individuals, families and carers and enable them to make informed decisions and express their needs.
* To challenge discrimination, disadvantage and other forms of inequality, injustice and oppressive practice.
* To maximise the financial and material resources available to service users and carer(s) from all possible sources and ensure value for money care packages.
* Ensure that service users and carers are aware of the Departments Complaints procedures.
* To case manage child protection work.
* To understand the changing culture, health and social needs of the locality to inform current and future practice and service provision.
* To establish good practice by example
* To provide verbal and written information to aid care planning activities and to provide evidence for assessment of need and care plan approaches.
* To implement designated actions from care plans.
* To gather and interpret information on agreed criteria related to the care of a client or implementation of procedures.
* To lead meetings to define care planning activities and to evaluate evidence for assessment of need and care plan approaches.
* To set up mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating delegated actions from care plans.
* To derive and interpret information related to the care of a service user or implementation of procedures
* To communicate effectively and in the best interests of the client in case conferences, planning meetings, discussions with clients/families, inter-agency personnel, team members and in staff supervision.
* If required, to give evidence in court in relation to care.
* To work within established protocols, negotiate expectations/roles in liaison with others, e.g. in the key worker role / in multi agency working.
* To represent the Team as required on behalf of a service user - this includes representing individuals and the dept/team in meetings/conference.
* To attend child protection meetings.
* To appropriately challenge the judgements and decisions of others where there is evidence that the needs of those you are working with are not being met.