Principal Social Worker and ASC Assurance Lead

Job Description

Job Category :Social Care & Health Qualified
Location : Bracknell Forest Council
Hours Per Week :40.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:30
Salary: £526.10

• To work at a strategic level of the Professional Capabilities Framework and engage with officers across the Council including; elected members, senior management, frontline social workers, people who use our services and carers.

• To provide line management within the social care team and to lead and oversee excellent social work and social care practice across the People Directorate. Engaging with, consulting with and co-producing with all stakeholders.

• To lead the development of excellent social workers and support effective social work supervision and decision making.

• To work with the senior leadership team to ensure there is a secure base, culture and environment in which good social work can flourish and positively impact on better outcomes for individuals in need or at risk.

• To contribute to ensuring that the Council’s responsibilities, legal obligations, and statutory duties are fully met and properly discharged in order to safeguard children and vulnerable adults.

• To support the recruitment and retention of social care workers from entry level to management positions through vacancy promotion and effective workforce planning alongside management teams.

• To advise the departmental director and/or Council in complex and controversial cases and in developing case law relating to social work practice.

• To provide professional advice and guidance on all aspects of the social care and social work profession for Bracknell Forest Council.

1. To support social work practice. Working alongside social workers and other practitioners to identify opportunities to continuously develop social work delivery and to champion excellence in social work practice within the Council by undertaking practice development sessions, mentoring and co-working.

2. Liaise between national and regional sector partners and professional social work bodies, ensuring that all practice, data and registration requirements are implemented, up to date and shared as required.

3. To act as the BFC social work subject matter expert at relevant local, regional, and national forums and networks that directly benefit social work practice at Bracknell Forest Council.

4. To work in partnership with DMT’s, corporate colleagues, the social care workforce, the equalities group / equalities allies and service users and partners to develop, review and deliver the workforce priorities of the People Directorate, leading on priorities to drive a positive culture and working environments for all.

5. Develop effective and representative forums for individuals who are in receipt of services/social work plans, social workers, and other social care practitioners, to ensure there is consultation, feedback and co-production that enables everyone to focus on achieving consistency and positive outcomes.

6. As a standing member of the DMT, identifying issues, barriers and systems challenges making financial and business cases to ensure the services meet their aims and the culture and climate is such that good social work/care can flourish.

7. Ensure a programme of communication and engagement including a regular newsletter/ briefing.

8. To develop resilience and wellbeing approaches and strategies that are aligned to the needs of front line colleagues, ensuring that initiatives are co-designed with the social care workforce and in partnership with the HR and OD and are linked to corporate strategies.

9. Take a lead on policy reviews and implementation alongside the Directorate Management Team.

10. Contribute and play a leading role in the review, assessment and quality assurance of social care practice including contributing to Ofsted and CQC inspections including data gathering, analysis, report writing and presentation.

11. Ensure that the views and experiences of service users, children, adults, and their families inform service planning and delivery, ensuring and leading co-production and engagement where practicable and appropriate.

12. Ensure quality social work management and leadership through identifying talent, succession and development opportunities for aspiring and existing social work and social care managers and leaders, in partnership with the corporate L&D team.

Experience and qualifications

Professional qualification in Social Work (CQSW/Dip SW/ SW Degree)

Evidence of continued professional development including development of leadership skills

Supervisory training

Function at the strategic level of the Professional Capabilities Framework

Significant post qualifying experience in a statutory organisation providing adult/children’s social care or health related services

Significant experience of operating at leadership and management level

Appropriate accreditation/ registration with SWE

The ability to provide evidence of competency against the Bracknell Forest Manager Framework
Higher degree or Masters in related subject

Management qualification e.g., ILM, CMI or MBA

Use of / training or awareness in respect of Motivational Interviewing as a technique for change

We are looking for an experienced Adults Social Care PSW and ASC assurance lead to assist in our preparedness for CQC inspection.
We require someone with significant senior leadership skills to ensure that Bracknell Forest Council’s Adult Social Care Service is prepared for the inspection in both practical means and also by bringing along the workforce and key internal and external stakeholders.
Additional to this the role covers that of the PSW ensuring that our workforce are well equipped and able to undertake their roles. Experience in change management and inspections essential.