About the Job
Social Workers work alongside adult social care practitioners, managers and other professionals within our countywide Locality offices, hospital settings and a specialist learning disabilities team. Social Workers have a key role in upholding the rights of people in Gloucestershire with care and support needs. Social Workers work in line with legislative frameworks to deliver strengths based, person centred practice using the three conversations model. This is often in challenging and complex situations, and social workers also take a lead role in undertaking enquires to safeguard adults with care and support needs across Gloucestershire, balancing their rights, wishes and feelings in line with statutory duties.
This is what we need you to do...
* Listen to the people of Gloucestershire, supporting them to connect to community resources, including promoting digital inclusion; recognising the opportunities and risk of new technologies, digital resources, online communications, virtual environments and social media in social work.
* Take a strengths-based approach, which seeks to be inclusive, anti- discriminatory, and anti-oppressive within practice.
* To practice in a professionally curious manner, feeling confident to ask difficult questions in a supportive, person-centred manner.
* Prioritise supporting people in crisis to regain control of their lives, taking a holistic approach in working together to achieve effective plans to balance risk and ensure people are more stable and enabled to live their lives.
* In line with the Care Act, undertake complex social care interventions including assessments, to determine eligibility, and support plans, to ensure individuals are enabled to lead the lives they choose.
* To coordinate and manage section 42 safeguarding enquiries and complex, high-risk situations, utilising professional judgement throughout.
* To promote social change and development, social cohesion and the empowerment and liberation of people.
* To develop and maintain an in-depth knowledge of local resources, working collaboratively with teams and services both within and outside of Gloucestershire County Council.
* To be an active participant of your team, supporting the development of others and committed to own professional development to deliver the best quality practice for the people of Gloucestershire.
* To take responsibility for obtaining regular, effective supervision from a professional supervisor/manager and appraisal to discuss effective practice, reflection, continuing professional development and career opportunities.
* To take ownership of and responsibility for delivering against team and individual performance targets. Translating data and maintaining an awareness of own professional limitations and knowledge gaps and seeking to address these.
* To contribute to the development of the service by communicating new ideas, through means such as briefings, completion of council surveys, and team meetings.
* To develop and maintain good working relationships with other professionals within the team, wider service area, and partner agencies to ensure an integrated, holistic and multidisciplinary approach.
The ideal candidate will have...
Experience of…
* Working in a social worker position, preferably with adults in a statutory setting
* Working with people with multiple complex needs and supporting them to live their best life, in line with statutory duties
* Undertaking assessments to form professional judgement, and of implementing plans in line with these judgements
* Working with high-risk situations, including safeguarding enquiries and other multi-agency risk management procedures.
* Applying critical reflection and analysis to increasingly complex cases and situations
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
* An understanding of statutory social work, including current issues and new evidence-informed practice research
* A sound understanding and application of legislative frameworks underpinning adult social care, for example the Care Act, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Human Rights Act
* A critical knowledge of the range of theories and models for social work intervention
* Ensure a high level of confidentiality is maintained for individuals, their carers and families and to manage the security of information
* Ability to communicate with compassion and authority in challenging situations, and able to understand and work effectively with negative and rejecting responses
* Ability to write accurate, timely and effective records
* Ability to exercise individual judgement
* Ability to manage complex workloads independently and seek support where and when appropriate
Good level of IT literacy in Microsoft Office, including Teams, SharePoint, Word, and Outlook
Behavioural attributes
* Aligns with Gloucestershire Leadership / Employee Values and behaviours
* Actively asks for and considers other people's views and opinions
* Is available and approachable and takes time to consult and communicate
* Able to work well as part of a team and on own initiative
* Listens to others and communicates with sensitivity and understanding
* Acknowledges, respects and responds to individual differences and diversity requirements, recognising discriminatory practices and inequality, and is able to appropriately challenge others
* Confident to hold difficult conversations with peers, colleagues, people who draw on services and their carers
* Stays calm under pressure
* Accepts and responds to constructive feedback
* Identifies and takes up opportunities for professional development and training relevant to the role
* Acts with integrity, honesty and impartiality
* Contributes to the development of the service
* Ability to operate in a climate of change and to embrace news ways of thinking and working
* Creativity and curiosity in practice, exploring options to solve dilemmas and problems.
* Highly organised with a solution-focused, logical and innovative approach to challenges.
Education & Qualifications
Essential
* Social Work qualification
* Social Work registration with professional body in England
* Evidence of Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE - applicable since 2012), equivalent qualification or 2+ years post qualifying statutory experience
* Evidence of continuing professional development
Special Conditions
* This position is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Check, and you will be asked to apply for a Disclosure Certificate if you are offered the position.
* The nature of this post requires flexibility to meet urgent work needs as they arise. This will inevitably entail work outside of normal working hours and locations across the county, including in locality, Hospital Discharge and Assessment and Learning Disabilities teams.
* The post holder must hold a clean and valid driving licence (exceptions under the Equality Act may apply).
Guidant Global (BH4SF) is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy