Social Worker Court Specialist

Job Description

Job Category: Social Care – Qualified
Location: Powys County Council
Hours Per Week: 37.00
Start Date: Immediate Start
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 17:00
Salary: £19.47

Key Tasks:
To ensure oversight of all care proceedings in Powys (or an area within Powys). The post-holder will have an overview of all care proceedings and pre-proceedings and an understanding of the basic issues within each case, and the steps that are required in order to resolve the care plan. The post-holder will (alongside the Team Manager) support Social Workers in writing their court reports, particularly focussing on less experienced staff. The post-holder may need to attend court at times in relation to contentious cases or to support less experienced staff.

Tasks:
⦁ Develop and maintain a database in order to monitor the progress of all care proceedings and pre-proceedings in the department/area
⦁ Provide reports in relation to this information to assist the Local Authority to project demand for placements, therapeutic or other relevant services.
⦁ Ensure that all children who are the subject of care proceedings have been subject to the relevant permanence planning processes in order to determine the care plan.
⦁ Ensure that Social Workers have the resources they need in order to submit court reports on time and to a high standard.
⦁ Provide practical assistance to Social Workers to ensure that they can complete court work to a good standard.
⦁ Ensure that all work to be filed before the court has been through a QA process and that the views and feelings of the child are reflected and have been actively considered in drawing up the statement.
⦁ Attend permanence planning and care planning meetings for children who are the subject of care proceedings.
⦁ Ensure that in relation to pre-proceedings, that the plan of improvement is relevant to the concerns about the children and that progress is made in a timely way, or to alert the Team Manager or Senior Manager if the progress of the family is drifting.
⦁ To attend Legal Planning Meetings in an advisory capacity.
⦁ At all times to work in co-operation with the Team Manager of the social work team in which the care proceedings are held.
⦁ To liaise with CAFCASS in relation to any concerns that they may have about the conduct of care proceedings in Powys.
⦁ To ensure that all services are provided within a framework of Equality and Diversity and Anti-discriminatory practice and take account of the views of service users.

Experience:
⦁ Extensive post qualifying experience within Children’s Services.
⦁ Extensive experience of undertaking assessments of needs and identifying risks.
⦁ Extensive experience and knowledge in the field of Child Protection, LAC, Court and the writing/ preparation of court papers
⦁ Previous experience of attending court proceeding
⦁ Ability to collate management information
⦁ Experience of mentoring and supporting less experienced staff
⦁ Experience of writing comprehensive reports.

Qualifications & Training:
⦁ Appropriate social work qualification (i.e. Degree in Social Work, DipSW or equivalent).
⦁ Registration as Social Worker with Social Care Wales.
⦁ Commitment to undertaking any relevant qualification relevant to this post.
⦁ Court skills training.

Knowledge:
⦁ Understanding of the needs of service users.
⦁ Knowledge of current legislation, national guidance and best practice relevant to the post.
⦁ Knowledge of social care needs of children and families.
⦁ An up to date understanding of the current agenda within children’s safeguarding.
⦁ Demonstrate an understanding of quality assurance.
⦁ Extensive knowledge and understanding of legal and court processes.