Principal Social Worker (Grade 9)

Job Description

Job Category : Social Care – Qualified
Location : County Hall, Cardiff Council
Hours Per Week : 22.20
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:00
Salary: £33.00

We are looking for a peripatetic Social Worker to support the UASC Team and Practice Improvement in Intake and Assessment. This role is 3 days a week, hybrid role with office attendance a minimum of 1 day a week.

This dual role will serve two functions develop practice in Intake and Assessment and manage the small UASC team of 5 practitioners.

Children services recognise Practice Leadership is a central issue in enabling people providing support to do a good job. This dual role will provide the capacity to manage the UASC team, get involved in the UASC strategic work and support the Team Managers and OM in developing practice in I&A, particularly in supporting career progression from NQSW to Senior Social Workers.

The peripatetic principle social worker may support at different times each of the two service areas which are as follow.

UASC – To undertake and promote the effective assessment of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children including those in Age Assessment/Dispute. This should also encompass care planning, intervention and review for UASC cases including children in need of being children looked after and/or protection, including circumstances where it is necessary for the local authority to initiate legal proceedings to safeguard children and to further consider their immigration status and rights. This involves planning placements and liaising with partner and 3rd sector to ensure UASC children and young people review the best service they can.

Intake and Assessment – Intake and Assessment is a fast paced and exciting team, due to Cardiff’s demography the work is diverse and progressive. Practitioners undertake Well-being and S47 assessments and provide short term interventions to support families to increase safety within the home. Practitioners hold cases for a short period of time; long term work is generally transferred at the first planning meeting. The Team are on a duty rota for one week in every three, meaning you have the opportunity to plan and record your work in a structured and organised way. Workers may also be involved in care and private law proceedings. Cardiff Intake and Assessment Teams are established with experienced staff who support each other during challenging times. Cardiff work creatively under a strengths based model for the best possible outcomes for families. All employees are valued by Cardiff Council; training opportunities

An exciting opportunity for a Principal Social Worker to join our Child Health & Disability Team has become available in Cardiff.
You will need:
• A Degree or Masters in Social Work
• Experience of working within a Child Health & Disability Team
• Experience of providing supervision to students and staff
The main duties of the post holder will be:
• Working alongside a multi-agency team of professionals, in partnership with families.
• To take a lead in the team using the Signs of Safety approach to social work practice
• To encourage and support the team in adopting the Signs of Safety approach
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of effective systems to ensure quality services.
• Engagement with MASH in relation to referrals, supervising Wellbeing Assessments and Section 47 investigation.
• Working in a multiagency capacity to support families
• Attend alongside the social worker at Child Protection Case Conferences
• Provide a consultation role on practice issues for staff and, where appropriate, managers
• Provide specialist advice and support across the team.
• Provide supervision, mentoring and coaching to staff within Children’s Services as required and support other staff with students on placement to ensure good quality placements and development of the workforce
• Take responsibility for delegated decision making appropriate to the role.